Pradeep Sangwan is healing the Himalayas, slow and steady

Hyderabad: When Pradeep Sangwan first told his family that he was passionate about cleaning out the trash left behind tourists and trekkers from the picturesque Himalayas — it was an all out war with the family, who disapproved of his plans.

It remained that way for more than two years even as the determined youngster went about his mission to make the trek routes litter free. Eventually, his family realised that he was indeed passionate about the cause. But it was a mention by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Pradeep’s herculean efforts in ‘Mann Ki Baat’ programme which made the Sangwan family both emotional and proud. So much so that Pradeep’s family now participates in his clean-up campaigns.

“By choosing my passion, I put them (his family) in a tricky situation as I come from a humble background. Choosing society over family, job over a thankless job was difficult,” smiles Pradeep Sangwan, founder and promoter of Healing Himalayas Foundation, in an exclusive chat with Hyderabad Chronicle.

After acknowledging his efforts in Mann ki Baat programme for the first time in 2020, PM Modi spoke to Pradeep during the 100th episode of the monthly radio programme recently. “You thought of healing the Himalayas. How is your campaign going nowadays?” asked Modi, to which Sangwan replied that it was going great. He informed the Prime minister that the quantum of work for five years got completed in just one year since 2020, which drew praises from Modi.

Acknowledgement from the PM means a lot to me and my family, says Pradeep. “There is a saying in Haryanvi dialect ‘Jungle me mor naache kisne dekha” (Beautiful dance of a peacock is a rare sight) I can proudly say PM ne dekha,” he says.

HOW IT ALL STARTED

It was during one of his treks from Chandrataal to Surajtaal lake that Pradeep happened to spend three days with Shepherds, who he describes as a beautiful community.

“Witnessing an absolute ecofriendly lifestyle in the most difficult terrain made me compare the current scenario of trekkers who carelessly trek around Himalayas throwing tantrums and leaving behind a massive carbon footprint,” he recalls.

That’s where his campaign  “Healing Himalayas” came in to existence wherein people can trek & travel for a purpose. “I wanted people to know the sustainable alternatives of trekking & travelling,” says Pradeep.

The first location was around Manali, a small trek called Sethan dorm. “I had a few friends over from Delhi so asked them if they would like to accompany. There was no looking back since,” says the avid trekker and environmentalist.

His foundation works in five districts of Himachal Pradesh, mainly – Shimla, Kullu & Manali, Kinnaur, Lahaul & Spiti and now Chamba as well. “Trek routes where I have been actively working are Kheerganga, Hamta pass, Manimahesh yatra, Shrikhand Mahadev Yatra, Prashar rishi lake, Jalodi jayot pass, Chandrataallake etc,” he informs. Since 2016, he along with hundreds of volunteers have trekked over 10,000 km and collected 700 tons of nonbiodegradable waste.

AN AVERAGE STUDENT WHO LOVED SPORTS

Born in village Jhojhu Kalan in district Charkhi Dadri, Haryana, in July 1985, Pradeep did his schooling from Rashtriya Military School Ajmer. He was an average student but loved sports, especially basketball.

Since his father was in the Indian Army, Pradeep’s sole aim was to get into the defence forces. But destiny had different plans for him. “I couldn’t clear the interview post my NDA written exam. I guess I wasn’t confident enough to clear it. Thereafter, I never applied for a government job,” says Pradeep, who was given  the best sportsman of the year in 12th standard. After completing his Bachelor of Arts from DAV college, Chandigarh (Punjab University),  all that happened in his life was playing guitar and trekking in the Himalayas.

Ask him what is the solution for making people not throw waste in the Himalayas or if there can be a solution at all, Pradeep feels that changing the habits of 1.3 billion people is difficult. “But if we keep growing our tribe, if we keep talking about littering, waste and its repercussions, then we may have a chance” he says.

From a smaller perspective of making a trek route litter free, he says, there is a need to create an ecosystem of auditing incoming and outgoing waste material.

“Responsibility of adventure and tourism industry are defined but not monitored,” he feels, adding that young minds must be involved from early stage. “Education through ground action is the need. Because once you pick up litter thrown by someone else you will never throw it in the first place.”

CLEARING WASTE, A HERCULEAN TASK

“Physically, it’s draining and refreshing at the same time. Just  to pick up 1 kg of single use plastic, we have to bend down for about 400-450 times and that’s a lot of Surya namaskar,” smiles Pradeep, who used to trek about 2000 kms every year before Covid-19 struck.

“When I pick up waste, it’s not just litter, it’s the negativity, intolerable attitude of people who litter. In this process, I consume a lot of negativity and therefore it’s always a challenge to keep a positive and healthy mind,” says the trekker, who built his team along the journey.

Volunteers come and go but Pradeep has to be there for every clean-up. One of the most littered village, says Pradeep, is Malana while in terms of trek route, it’s Kheerganga. When it comes to pilgrimages, it’s Manimahesh Yatra. “Every year, Pilgrims leave behind at-least one ton of undergarments around Shiv kund of Manimahesh,” he informs.

Pradeep says he is not an alpinist and the maximum he has trekked is 5000 meters. “My fight is below 5000 meters because that’s where the garbage is,” says Pradeep, who has not taken any formal training for trekking.