Uttarakhand Clears Char Dham Road Expansion

Uttarakhand Clears Strategic Char Dham Road Expansion

Why in the News ?

The Uttarakhand government has approved widening a 20.6-km stretch of the Char Dham highway inside the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone, invoking provisions of the Forest (Conservation and Augmentation) Act, 1980 (amended 2023), sparking environmental concerns and civil society mobilisation.

Uttarakhand Clears Char Dham Road Expansion

Key Decisions and Environmental Implications:

  • Project Approved: The state government has cleared widening of the Bhaironghati–Jhala stretch (Package 1) under the Char Dham project.
  • Forest Loss: The project will divert 92 hectares of forest land, including areas with significant Deodar trees, raising ecological concerns.
  • Eco-Sensitive Zone Impact: The stretch falls within the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone, making environmental scrutiny more crucial.
  • Local Mobilisation: Environmental groups have launched a yatra from Delhi and Rishikesh to Uttarkashi, holding public meetings in Harsil and Bhaironghati.

  • Symbolic Protest: Around 60–100 people plan to tie ‘Raksha Sutras’ to Deodar trees as a symbolic pledge to protect them.

Legal Basis and Government Justification

  • Strategic Status: According to the Head of Forest Forces (HoFF), the Defence or Home Ministry can designate such linear projects as strategic infrastructure.
  • Forest Clearance Exemption: The project is approved under Section 1A(2)(c) of the amended Forest (Conservation and Augmentation) Act, 1980, which exempts strategic linear projects within 100 km of international borders/LoC/LAC from forest clearance.
  • MoEFCC Oversight: A monitoring committee of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) also reviewed and endorsed the project.
  • National Security Argument: The government maintains the road is of strategic national security significance, enabling faster troop and logistics movement.
  • Administrative Process: The November 12 letter to the state nodal officer confirms compliance with required deliberations and approvals.

About Eco-Sensitive Zones and Forest Clearance Rules:

●     Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs): Declared by MoEFCC to protect fragile ecosystems by restricting harmful activities.

●     Purpose: To reduce environmental degradation around protected areas, rivers, and fragile mountain ecosystems.

●     Forest Diversion: Under Indian law, forest land may be diverted only with approval under the Forest Conservation Act, unless exempted.

●     2023 Amendment: Introduced exemptions for strategic linear projects near borders to expedite infrastructure development.

●     Char Dham Project Context: A large-scale initiative improving connectivity to Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath, with recurring legal-environmental debates.