The all-weather highway project intends to provide connectivity between Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri through the fragile Himalayan ecology
The Environment Ministry on Monday submitted in an affidavit to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the Chardham all-weather highway does not require environmental clearance as none of its 53 stretches are longer than 100 km. The ministry guidelines state that expansion of an existing highway lesser than 100 km in length and involving additional right of way or land acquisition lesser than 40 metre on existing alignments does not require green clearance.
The ministry submitted its stand before a bench which is headed by Acting Chairperson Justice Jawad Rahim and comprises Justices SP Wangdi and expert member Nagin Nanda. The plea has alleged that Centre is circumventing environmental procedures by dividing the 900-km work in smaller segments. The all-weather highway project intends to provide connectivity between Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri through the fragile Himalayan ecology.
In the last hearing, the bench had sought a response from MoRTH on the issue of environmental clearance and had rapped them after the petitioner pointed out instances of muck dumping in Mandakini river valley.
The environment ministry's affidavit also shows that the Centre seems to be shifting its stance on how to term work on the Chardham all-weather highway. Echoing the view of Ministry of Road Transport and Highway, environment ministry's affidavit stated that the "Char Dham is a program and not a single project." This was at variance the affidavit the MoRTH filed last week which stated that the highway is a "project of national importance...and in national interest."
Even as the environment ministry and MoRTH have sought to point out to the NGT that the Chardham highway work is not happening as a "single project" and thus a composite environmental clearance is not required, the Union Cabinet has termed it as "Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana" in all its clearances.
In fact, for felling nearly 40,000 trees, MoRTH and Uttarakhand government have applied separately for specific stretches. In fact, in March, the environment ministry had told NGT that no forest clearance was sought under name of 'Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna' but "cases from MoRTH had been submitted by Uttarakhand government along the stretch of Chardham in Uttarakhand for different segments for diversion of forest land." These applications were all passed by the Dehradun regional officer of environment ministry.
The NGT will continue the hearing on Tuesday.
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