Locals protest BRO’s green nod for Char Dham road widening project

Residents of Uttarkashi have flagged concerns with the Border Roads Organisation’s forest clearance application submitted to Union Environment Ministry, for the widening of the Char Dham road through the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone.

Residents are particularly concerned that conditions recommended by the Supreme Court appointed high powered committee on the Char Dham project which were referred to in SC’s order dated December 14, 2021 in respect of the stretch of around 100 km connecting Uttarkashi to Gangotri and passing through the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone, have been ignored.

Also Read: SC allows Centre to widen Char Dham roads in view of security concerns at Indo-China border

The SC order referred to the Ravi Chopra headed high powered committee’s recommendations: that BRO must obtain all requisite clearances from the environment ministry; that road widening should be taken up only after detailed environment impact assessment and application of mitigation measures; that the felling of Deodar trees should be avoided; and that vulnerability evaluations and terrain assessments should be conducted .

One of BRO’s forest clearance applications for the widening of NH-34 between KM 8 (Bhaironghati) to KM 29.300 (Jhalla) under the project , available on the ministry’s Parivesh website shows some these discrepancies. The application states that the stretch is not located within a Protected Area or Eco sensitive zone, although the stretch in fact falls within the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone. The application seeks diversion of 41.92 ha of forest land and the details of trees to be felled shows that hundreds of Deodar trees will have to be cleared.

Himalayi Nagrik Drishti Manch, a civil society organisation of residents from Uttarkashi and neighbouring areas wrote to the environment ministry on Tuesday raising an alarm over the environmental impact of road widening in the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone.

They demanded an immediate cancellation of two forest clearance proposals in violation of the Supreme Court’s order and the committee’s recommendations.

“Suspend the present Uttarkashi BRO Commanding Officer and Divisional Forest Officer, who are prima facie responsible for misleading the Government of Uttarakhand and the Government of India by giving the above mentioned wrong and misleading information...,” the letter said.

Details available on Parivesh website suggests that ministry has not yet cleared the application for forest clearance. The ministry did not immediately respond to HT’s queries.

“We have come across the forest clearance aplications that the BRO has made. Firstly, the entire road widening project in the eco-sensitive zone is in violation of the Ravi Chopra committee’s findings and warnings. Secondly, BRO has claimed these stretches are not in eco-sensitive zone. How is that possible? We also want our road to be in good condition but we do not want further loss of precious forests. This area is extremely prone to landslides. Locals are already suffering. We have met the district magistrate also regarding our concerns,” said Pushpa Chauhan, former gram pradhan, Bhatwari and entrepreneur.

“I have been surveying the stretch from Bhaironghati to Jhala and found many deodar trees have been marked for felling. Other trees have also been marked and these go in the interiors from the roadside. Do we really need to lose so many trees? There will be widespread impact of this on the sensitive ecology of this region,” said Deepak Ramola, also resident of Uttarkashi.

The last 100 km-long stretch of Char Dham road, which will pass through the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone, will have to adhere to a minimum width of 10m, Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari said on August 7 in Parliament.

Also Read: Final stretch of Char Dham near China border to be 10m wide, says Nitin Gadkari

Considering the strategic nature of the stretch, since it connects with the India-China border, the road needs to be wide enough to move defence equipment, the minister added, admitting that the stretch is prone to landslides .

On compensating for tree loss, Gadkari said, “There will be no loss of trees. It is important to understand that this is at the China border. Machinery, trucks need to be able to move on it. This is a very sensitive matter. We will protect the environment, national security and provide ease for pilgrims.”