Centre looking at tweaks in Char Dham road project to avoid landslide impact

Nitin Gadkari addresses concerns over Chardham project roads in Uttarakhand, emphasizing protection of environment and strategic importance.

The threat of landslides in Uttarakhand, particularly the Bhagirathi eco sensitive zone, is making the government consider some tweaks to some roads being built as part of the Chardham project, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, said in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

He was responding to a question from Ranjit Ranjan, Congress member from Chhattisgarh. Mr. Ranjan pointed out that of the nearly 900-km network of roads, that was the Chardham project, only 150 km of the final stretch was remaining. He asked if there was a way to avoid the widening of roads in this stretch — which lay in the Bhagirathi River zone — and was the stretch where the river Ganga maintained its natural flow.

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“From a strategic point of view, this is a very important stretch of road necessary to carry defence equipment to the China border. In view of the frequent landslides in the region we have taken three decisions: We will try to use a via-duct whereby the road doesn’t actually touch the mountain; secondly, we will construct a concrete shelter to protect from landslides and finally, even if it costs an extra ₹2,000-4000 crore, we will make tunnels. The Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone is extremely precious and must be protected,” said Mr. Gadkari, “We will ensure that trees aren’t cut. We have already planted nearly three crore trees and transplanted 78,000.”

Last November, a cave-in of a section of the Silkyara tunnel that is part of the Chardham project trapped miners, who were subsequently rescued only after a fortnight-long operation.

The Chardham project was controversial not only because it involved tunnelling and cutting through precarious Himalayan mountains but also because project proponents avoided a cumulative impact assessment by breaking up the project into 53 smaller chunks.