Abstract

Himachal Pradesh is often called Devbhumi meaning land of gods and people see it as a clean and peaceful place in the mountains but today there is a different reality behind this image tourism has become the main source of income for the state and it has helped many people earn their living but at the same time it has also brought a serious problem of waste and pollution many visitors come every year and with them comes plastic bottles food wrappers and other waste which is often thrown without care this has created what we can call waste landscapes where natural beauty is slowly getting covered by garbage. This paper tries to look at this issue in a simple human way not just through numbers and data but by understanding how people feel and live in this situation there is a clear gap between what the Himachal Pradesh eco tourism policy says and what we actually see on the ground the policy talks about sustainability and protection of nature but in reality many tourist places are struggling with unmanaged waste and lack of proper systems. The kullu manali area is one of the most popular tourist regions and also one of the most affected places here we can see how rivers roads and forests are facing pressure from increasing tourism through a small conversation with a local person we understand that this problem is not only about waste management but also about fairness and respect local people feel that their environment and traditional values are being ignored for the sake of profit. In the past people living in these mountains had a strong connection with nature they respected it and took only what they needed but now that balance is slowly breaking this paper suggests that instead of only focusing on technical solutions there is a need to think about people their behavior and their relationship with nature a more human approach is needed where both tourists and locals take responsibility and where policies are made keeping real ground situations in mind.

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