Tags/Keywords : Making Hill Area Great Places to Live

Hill areas and hill settlements have always been source of great attraction,
fascination, learning and inspiration besides being most prized places to visit and
stay in my life spanning about 79 years. Hill areas have been valued for the
reasons, they are known to be reservoir and storehouse, having abundance of
natural resources, quality environment, diverse ecology, unique biodiversity,
simplicity, walkability and wealth of flora and fauna. These natural assets are
known to be crucial and critical for the balanced growth and sustainable
development of any community, state and nation. However, during journeys made
to hill areas, it was observed that despite being bestowed with enormous natural
gifts, hill areas, due to its sensitivity and fragility, are fast becoming victim of the
developmental forces generated by ever rising population, concentration of
population in few settlements, rapid in-migration, uncontrolled tourism, unplanned
development, haphazard urbanization, increasing mobility, mechanized traffic
and transportation and increasing globalization.  Under the impact of unplanned
and unregulated development, majority of natural gifts of hill areas are being
diluted, muted, marginalized and destroyed.