| Abstract |
Present paper highlights the importance of developing the geothermal sites in Himalayan region as tool to promote tourism and boost the economy of the people living in far flung inaccessible and remote corners of the mountain regions. Though hot springs have been used since time immemorial by the local residents to take bath and wash clothes and the medicinal characteristics of these sources also have its own history. But these centers in Himachal and Ladakh Himalayas, probably like in rest of India, even today, are poorly developed. They lack basic infrastructural facilities. The Government policies are indifferent/non-existant and the private players have not been able to exploit these sources to its potential. By setting up of good recreational facilities in the form of swimming pools and spas with good hotels using the green non polluting source of energy will boost the geothermal and health tourism in the region. Once such mechanism is in place and tourists visiting these places are comfortable, they will feel the urge to visit these places again and again. Present paper urges the government to draft a geothermal policy so that these resources are judiciously used to promote tourism and to establish institutes/hospitals to explore medicinal properties of these springs and to furhter develop the use ancient treatment therapies of relieving pain and curing skin related ailments. Such uses of these resources, besides their huge potential to provide power, need to be popularised. Investment opportunities to develop geothermal sources are many but because of lack of initiatives by the successive government and policy makers the geothermal resource is badly neglected resource. Need of the hour is to come up with simple but effective solutions to renovate these geothermal resources and judiciously use it in our day to day life. These issues should be addressed through this congress in developing geothermal source in totality especially in developing countries where the geothermal resource planning and its development is in its infancy. The countries, companies and experts who have developed geothermal source should come up with policy and should be willing to share their information and experience. They should not be secretive about sharing their services with the developing countries. After all, the effects of using geothermal and rock energy will be shared by all irrespective of the place we live. Clean rock energy is every body’s right and should be made available to all at very low price. No patent should be allowed on this technology and everyone should be free to use it. This will be the greatest gift for our future generation, specially in these times when every individual is fearing the ‘hype’ of global warming. |