Dehradun: Mountains will not be able to withstand the proposed large highway tracts. Tampering with the mountain ecosystem in Uttarakhand can wreck the environment. Elevated corridors must be considered to save the ecologically fragile Himalayan ranges, said environmentalist Ravi Chopra. Chopra Friday resigned as the chairman of the Supreme Court appointed High Powered Committee (HPC).
The HPC was formed to assess the ecological impact of the construction of All Weather Roads in Uttarakhand under Char Dham Project. In an exclusive interview, the environmentalist reeled out a list of environmental impacts the project will have on the mountain ecology. Chopra alleged that the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari was not 'aware' of the magnitude of the Char Dham project's impact.
The environmentalist said, "the way the situation is being handled in Uttarakhand project, it has become difficult for me to carry on to save the vulnerable ecosystem of the Himalayan region. Mountains are being cut rampantly in the region to facilitate the construction of All Weather Roads. Such exploitation of the Himalayan ecosystem could be 'disastrous' in the long run."
The Defense Ministry had proposed 7-metre the width of the highway. However, the Ministry of Transport and Highways's notification has increased the road's width to 12-metre. The Ministry's agenda is to expand the highway's tract and this expansion would fit its bill, he said. According to Chopra, the bureaucrats are feeding the Union Minister with limited information and is in the dark of the real picture from the ground."
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari has limited access to (the environmental impact of) the Uttarakhand Char Dham project. He also has very less information from the ground. Officers do not furnish the Union Minister with such sensitive information about the project (which could lead to catastrophes in future)."
The ecosystem of our mountains in Uttarakhand is totally different from the Mountains in China. I know very well the ecology of Uttarakhand, because I have spent a major part of my life in this Himalayan region. Our Mountains would not be able to cope with the proposed highways. Thus, drilling mountains and tampering the ecology would be harmful in the coming years, Chopra warned.
Dubbed as a strategic project, 900-km-long Char Dham project aims to provide all-weather connectivity to four holy towns — Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath — in Uttarakhand. According to the Union government, it will be crucial in carrying heavy artillery, machinery, supplies etc up to Indo-China border in Uttarakhand. The Apex Court which allowed the construction had formed an oversight committee for ensuring remedial measures while implementing the project.
