A Supreme Court-appointed panel has raised serious concerns over the Char Dham road widening project in Uttarakhand’s Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone, warning that the current plan could trigger a major disaster in the fragile Himalayan region.
In a letter to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, senior geologist Navin Juyal and environmentalist Hemant Dhyani urged authorities to adopt an alternate design proposed in their detailed October 2023 survey. The report identified unstable slopes in the upper Bhagirathi valley and outlined a road plan aimed at maintaining connectivity without undermining slope stability.
The experts pointed to the August 5 flood in Dharali as a grim example of their warnings coming true. The flood, caused by a glacier-fed stream bursting through with massive debris, washed away homes. Similarly, in Bhatwari, a section of the highway was on the verge of collapse in an area sinking by 12mm to 22mm annually, as documented in their survey.
They stressed that enforcing the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone notification is crucial and recommended extending similar protections to higher Himalayan valleys to safeguard against future disasters.