Help in Healing the Himalayas

Story

Who are we?

The Healing Himalayas Foundation, is active in the state of Himachal Pradesh, leading the cleanliness drives and campaigns on popular trekking trails and pilgrim centres. We are catering to dissolve the problem of waste management by collecting tons of non-biodegradable items discarded by the trekkers or pilgrims and disposing it properly at the base town/city where it can also be recycled. This year, we are also planning to install permanent facilities of dustbins and toilets in a few areas. In the year 2016, a number of pilgrimage places as well as trekking trails have been cleaned by the volunteers of the Healing Himalayas, reducing the land pollution in the beautiful Himalayas. This initiative of the Healing Himalayas was also appreciated by the local media and even received a tremendous response on the social media. The pictures of the same are attached with this mail.

A quick glance through the Events of 2016:

Camping and trail cleaning at Shrikhand Mahadev @17,000 + ft
Cleaning Campaign at Chandra Taal Lake Trek Route @14,100 ft
Cleaning of Prini to Sethan Village Route and dumping of the garbage in the main dumpyard in collaboration with the Mahila Mandal of Sethan Village
Cleaning Drive at Hidimba Temple at Manali which was joined by the locals as well as the school students
Cleaning Drive near Jogni Falls Area

Tons of plastic bottles, glasses, bags and discarded items were collected from each of the mentioned sites and were disposed safely at the base.

"We work in the high- altitudes and the interior villages where people just go for fun and leave their trash all along the beautiful trails."

What have we done so far in 2017?

Clean Villages of Himachal Pradesh

We have adopted the villages of Mansari, Karja and Soyal
And organize monthly cleaning drives in all the three villages with the help of the villagers
The dustbins have been installed all across these villages
The dustbins are regularly cleaned and the garbage is transported to the nearby dump yard from where the government bodies take care of the plastic waste.
The Students of Mansari Senior Secondary School have also volunteered for the task
The students have keenly contributed in up-cycling the waste plastic bottles generated in the nearby cottages. The school now has a small vertical garden all created by the students
A door to door awareness drive was held in order to spread awareness about the waste segregation.

Result: All of the three villages have become self-dependent for their plastic and glass garbage. They independently manage the waste with a little support from the Healing Himalayas Foundation. The villages have become completely clean and environmentally safe as they have stopped burning plastic openly.

Cleaning of the trekking trails

Cleaned the Kheerganga Trekking Trail and brought down around 300 kilograms of plastic waste.
Awareness on installing refilling centres and reducing the usage of plastic bottles was spread.
Cleaned the 75 km of difficult trail to Shreekhand Mahadev. Around 250 kg of plastic waste was brought to the base.

How can you contribute to this cause helping to heal the Himalayas? And why do we need your help?

We are now planning for a complete waste segregation process which would be up-cycled by our volunteers and thus we need your help. Contribute your part by donating for any of the mentioned cause. Consider that even the smallest amount is helping the interior villages nestled in the mountain inaccessible by roads. No Government bodies take effort to clean the plastic waste generated by the trekkers and tourist and that includes all of us.

Donate a Dustbin - Amount 1000 INR

Dustbin, being a basic necessity for the proper waste management, are very much needed more on the trekking trails. By donating more for the dustbins, you would ensure the segregated disposal of glass, plastic and electronic waste. This would also spread the awareness among the villagers and the trekkers about the need to waste segregation and recycling of the materials.

Donate a Student Volunteer: - Amount

Many Himachali students are working hard to change their town and villages and the degrading condition of the Himalayas. Students would also be cleaning the Kheerganga Trail along with the volunteers of Healing Himalayas Foundation.

Donate for the up-cycling process, posters and wall art

Though our base material is a mere waste, the material required for the up-cycling or beautification of the artifacts goes a little hire. The main cost includes the paint for the walls and the paintings with anti-litter messages all around. We also wish to put up the banners explaining the waste segregation process. Other materials include markers, glass paint, nails, scissors, glues and angular hangers.