Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat today underlined the need to get out of cut-and-paste theories of development and evolve practical models of sustainable development for the Himalayan region according to its unique circumstances.
Speaking as the chief guest at a workshop on the subject organised by GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development here, Rawat said cut-and-paste concepts of development are not going to work in the Himalayan region.
The need of the hour is to evolve practical models of development for the region based on its unique geographical circumstances.
"Urbanisation is an essential part of the process of economic development. For example, construction of roads in the hills is important but it is equally imperative to think up ways to dispose of the debris such constructions are bound to bring in their wake," Rawat said.
So development models for the Himalayan region need to be more practical and realistic so that the side effects of development are minimised, he said.
Rawat also suggested that some villages of the state in the hills can be picked up for a pilot project of sustainable development in accordance with their unique location and then extended to the rest of the rural areas depending on its success.
