Ladakh - the land of the Lamas - had been beckoning me for years; this June I finally decided to pack my bags and make it happen.
As a young environmentalist, I am used to being disappointed in the callous attitude of the Indian tourist. I am often that person staring at you if you’re screaming yourself hoarse in a quiet monastery, or throwing empty cola cans out of your car yet complaining about a ‘dirty’ India. The general attitude of talking loudly in tranquil places or taking pictures in prohibited areas is something that comes naturally to us as a nation.
This is not something we are unaware of, but one incident on this trip, made me step back and seriously introspect upon our irresponsible lifestyles and lack of compassion for the planet or fellow beings.
A Beauty Besmirched: Pangong Tso Lake
As you approach Pangong Tso (a high altitude lake in Ladakh), you can see the bright blue water shimmering amidst low lying hills. It is a mesmerising sight - one that made me stow away my camera to better absorb it.
As I got closer, however, the scene changed dramatically; a speck of sand packed with about a hundred people appeared in the middle of the lake. Our driver, Norbu bhai, told us that this was where the film 3 Idiots was shot. It’s called the ‘Shooting Point’ and I couldn’t help but pun myself seeing the abundance of selfie sticks!
Pleasantly surprised at our decision to not stop there, Norbu bhai obliged and drove us to a quieter spot from where we could walk to the bank. My heart sank with every lake-ward step as I saw smaller ponds leading up to the lake choked with plastic bottles and packets of chips. I realised that this pristine spot in the heavens, a protected nesting site for several endangered birds, was now populated by only a few hardy Brahmini ducks, which were also probably seeking another home away from this madness of the human race.
Back at our tent, we headed out to the lakeside to watch the sun set. There was even more trash here. Even the water was dirty. Having had enough, we decided to do something. Armed with bags from the tent kitchens, we headed out to collect the trash, and filled 8 large bags before we even got to the lake.
A family of ten stopped taking selfies when I came into their frame trying to pull out a large plastic bag lodged in the rocks they were happily sitting on. One of them asked if we were ‘NGO waale’. This is how the conversation went –
Person: Are you from an organisation?
Me: No.
Person: Then why are you doing this?
Me: *blank expression* Umm, because this is my country and I would like my future generations to see this lake like I did.
Person: Oh! Great job. Walks away to take another selfie
I could go on about bigger issues of public health, sanitation and the waste disposal systems in the country, but there isn’t too much you or I could do about that. Today, I beg you to think about what you’re leaving behind for our tomorrow, as an individual - the next time you buy a packet of chips or a bottle of cola, think about where it lands up once you’re done with it.
Please. Think. That’s all I ask of you.
As a young environmentalist, I am used to being disappointed in the callous attitude of the Indian tourist. I am often that person staring at you if you’re screaming yourself hoarse in a quiet monastery, or throwing empty cola cans out of your car yet complaining about a ‘dirty’ India. The general attitude of talking loudly in tranquil places or taking pictures in prohibited areas is something that comes naturally to us as a nation.
This is not something we are unaware of, but one incident on this trip, made me step back and seriously introspect upon our irresponsible lifestyles and lack of compassion for the planet or fellow beings.
A Beauty Besmirched: Pangong Tso Lake
As you approach Pangong Tso (a high altitude lake in Ladakh), you can see the bright blue water shimmering amidst low lying hills. It is a mesmerising sight - one that made me stow away my camera to better absorb it.
As I got closer, however, the scene changed dramatically; a speck of sand packed with about a hundred people appeared in the middle of the lake. Our driver, Norbu bhai, told us that this was where the film 3 Idiots was shot. It’s called the ‘Shooting Point’ and I couldn’t help but pun myself seeing the abundance of selfie sticks!
Pleasantly surprised at our decision to not stop there, Norbu bhai obliged and drove us to a quieter spot from where we could walk to the bank. My heart sank with every lake-ward step as I saw smaller ponds leading up to the lake choked with plastic bottles and packets of chips. I realised that this pristine spot in the heavens, a protected nesting site for several endangered birds, was now populated by only a few hardy Brahmini ducks, which were also probably seeking another home away from this madness of the human race.
Back at our tent, we headed out to the lakeside to watch the sun set. There was even more trash here. Even the water was dirty. Having had enough, we decided to do something. Armed with bags from the tent kitchens, we headed out to collect the trash, and filled 8 large bags before we even got to the lake.
A family of ten stopped taking selfies when I came into their frame trying to pull out a large plastic bag lodged in the rocks they were happily sitting on. One of them asked if we were ‘NGO waale’. This is how the conversation went –
Person: Are you from an organisation?
Me: No.
Person: Then why are you doing this?
Me: *blank expression* Umm, because this is my country and I would like my future generations to see this lake like I did.
Person: Oh! Great job. Walks away to take another selfie
I could go on about bigger issues of public health, sanitation and the waste disposal systems in the country, but there isn’t too much you or I could do about that. Today, I beg you to think about what you’re leaving behind for our tomorrow, as an individual - the next time you buy a packet of chips or a bottle of cola, think about where it lands up once you’re done with it.
Please. Think. That’s all I ask of you.