Environmentalist and Chipko leader Sundar Lal Bahuguna DEHRA DUN: The Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh has assured the Chipko leader Sunder Lal Bahuguna and the Congress MLA from Tehri, Kishore Upadhyay of taking up the issue of framing an ecologically sustainable policy for the Himalayan region during the next Cabinet meeting. Announcing this at a press conference here, Mr Bahuguna and Mr Upadhyay said that they had apprised the Prime Minister of the perils that were emerging from the unscientific and market driven policies followed in the Himalayan States. "These hills are fragile and need to be conserved for the ecology and well being of the entire sub continent. The present trend of blindly cutting down the hill sides for development activity will only spark off massive landslides, loss of tree cover leading to melting away of glaciers and drying up of the rivers that cater to the drinking and agricultural needs of the plains', they said. The Government should also constitute a committee comprising of experts, politicians, local people and other stake holders to evolve an eco and development friendly policy that encouraged the hill youths to earn a living nearer home and stopped them from migrating to the plains for jobs. Commenting on the large number of fatal road accidents in Uttarakhand, Mr Upadhyay wanted a high powered committee of experts to suggest methods to make safe roads in the hills. "The terrain is treacherous and drivers do sometimes drive carelessly but most of the innocent lives being lost could be saved with better roads that were fit for such regions,' Mr Upadhyay said.