Manali and its Sub-Region - Government of Himachal Pradesh

Vision 41 Restoring the Balance between Environment andDevelopmentManali is gifted with some of the finest assets any Himalayan town can aspire for.A fertile valley traversed by a perennial river of clear clean water, diversity ofvegetation, orchards and agricultural fields, a climate that is beautiful both insummer and winter. The human ecology of Manali and its surroundings are alsodiverse with many sacred spots surrounding it and the peaceful presence ofBuddhism and Hadimba Devi in its urban core.These assets have turned Manali to one of the most sought after touristdestinations in the Himalayan region. Tourism is a double edged sword. It brings inwith it, prosperity for the local people while the impact of tourism-led growth canbe negative on the town's physical environment.In the case of Manali, the damages to its environment have been five fold:a) Progressive erosion of environmentally vulnerable slopes and vegetationthrough development. The shifting of apple cultivation to higher and higherslopes is a case in point.b) A decrease in agricultural activities and land holdings consequent to increaseddevelopmental activities.c) Higher air and noise pollution due to unbridled increase in automobilemovement (with maximum diesel vehicles).d) Rapidly escalating demand on resources like drinking water and energy due toovercrowding of the limited land area of the valley.e) Generation of disproportionate amount of solid waste and sewage incomparison to the present carrying capacity of treatment systems.A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis for ManaliTown is as follows:StrengthsScenic view of the hills, forest and river.Temperate climate having tourism potential round the year.Offers rare conglomerate of ecotourism, pilgrimage, adventure, culture, heritage,leisure and wilderness.Small but committed resident population.Well connected by road networks.WeaknessesAir and rail connectivity are poor.No new tourist destination has come up in the sub-region in the recent years.During peak season high tourist inflow is there but inadequate tourisminfrastructure.