Supreme Court Assents “CharDham” All Weather Project

It is a two lane road construction project that connects
four shrines Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedar Nath

• The Char Dham All Weather Road Project to construct two-lane expressway to connect four holy shrines in India Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedar Nath was approved by National Green tribunal in 2018.
•  But the project was stalled in Supreme Court due to the safeguard during the project execution. Several independent reports have also raised serious concerns over the haphazard manner in which the project is being executed through sensitive hilly terrain.
•  The Apex Court on 11th January, 2019 gave nod for the project stating that stay will however continue on those projects which are yet to begin under the plan till the environment clearance is taken by the authorities.
•  The Court also stayed a paragraph in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) order passed on September 26 last year which said that these projects did not require Environmental Impact Assessment Clearance in terms of the notification of Ministry of Environment & Forests.

What is “Char Cham” All Weather Road Project?

• Char Dham All Weather Road Project is a two-lane expressway project currently being executed in Himalayan state Uttarakhand. The project proposes widening of single lane roads into double lane by upto 10 meters.
•  The aim of the project is to improve the accessibility to Char Dham (shrines) namely Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedar Nath.
•  The project is touted as a tribute to the victims of the 2013 Uttarakhand floods. It is presented as a booster to State economy by facilitating religious and recreational tourism.
•  The project also proposes creation of 889 km long national highways to connect whole of Uttarakhand state. It has been divided into 7 packages comprising of 9 destinations including Tanakpur to Pithoragarh stretch.
• The project is named Char Dham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojana (Char Dham Highway Development Project). After the completion of this project, it will be recognized as Char Dham Mahamarg (Char Dham Highway).
•  The total cost is 11,700 crores. The project includes construction of two tunnels, 15 big flyovers, 101 small bridges, 3596 culverts and 12 bypass roads. About Rs. 3000 crore has been sanctioned for the project and tenders have been awarded for the same.

The Project not only for Pilgrimage tour but also defense strategy

The Char Dham highway project, is being seen as a strategic attempt to bolster preparation of India’s security forces at the India-China border, apart from increasing tourist volume. It will facilitate the smooth movement of pilgrims and defense forces.

Protests from Environmentalist

• According to environmentalist, unchecked construction of the all-weather Char Dham highway may end up triggering disasters in the ecologically sensitive Uttarakhand region.
•  They claim that thousands of trees are being cut in an unaccounted manner and hillsides are being cut and the muck is being dumped in the rivers