- The Supreme Court has constituted an independent committee-chaired by Ravi Chopra, the Director of the Dehradun People’s Science Institute, to take a view on whether the Central Government’s ambitious 900 kilometre, Rs. 12,000 crore ambitious ‘Char Dham project’ to improve road network connecting pilgrimage spots in Uttarakhand, needs to be “revised” to minimise its ecological damage.
- The Chopra committee is expected to make assessments and give recommendations to the Road Transport Ministry within four months. The Committee would consider the “cumulative and independent impact” of the on the Himalayan ecology.
Background
- The Char Dham project has evoked widespread concern among environmentalists, and has been challenged in the courts.
- Dehradun-based Citizens for Green Doon, had filed petitions in February 2018 in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) contending that the project was proceeding without environmental clearances and debris was being disposed haphazardly.
- On September 26, the NGT allowed the project with several caveats. A seven-member committee of experts led by a former judge of the Uttarakhand court was to ensure that an environmental management plan would be in place and properly adhered to. Later, the NGT nod for the project was stayed by the Supreme Court on technical grounds.
- On August 8, 2019 the Supreme court also allowed the project with assessment by an independent committee. But instead of being headed by a judge, the committee would be led by Ravi Chopra. The committee would also have representatives from the Department of Space, the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, and a representative from the Ministry of Defence.
About Char Dham Project
- Char Dham National Highway (NH) connectivity programme comprises projects of improvement/development of 889 km length of NHs leading to Yamunotri Dham, Gangotri Dham, Kedarnath Dham, Badrinath Dham and part of route leading to Kailash Mansarovar yatra at total project cost for Rs. 11,700 crore.
- Under this project, the Government has decided to upgrade highway connectivity to two lane with paved shoulders to Chardham through old National Highways no. 58, 94, 108 & 109 from Rishikesh to Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri & Yamunotri and Tanakpur -Pithoragarh section of National Highways no. 125.
- The construction work on the Char Dham project has been started and the project is targeted to be completed by March 2020.
- Projects under Char Dham lie within the State of Uttarakhand only. There are 68 number of projects in the State for which the construction work has been started and completed during the years 2015, 2016 and 2017. Till date, total of 135 projects to be implemented by State PWD, Uttarakhand have been sanctioned since May 2014.
