Centre denies Char Dham Project has anything to do with disaster in Rishi Ganga valley

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, February 17

The Centre on Wednesday has denied before the Supreme Court that Char Dham, the road widening project, has anything to do with the Rishi Ganga valley disaster in Uttarakhand, in which dozens of people lost their lives, and went missing. 

Attorney General KK Venugopal told a Bench headed Justice RF Nariman that the Centre would like to respond to a letter written by Ravi Chopra—chairman of a high-powered committee—in which several ‘allegations’ have been made with regard to broadening of road and the recent disaster in Uttarakhand.

The strategic 900-km Rs 12,000 crore Char Dham highway project aims to provide all-weather connectivity to four holy towns—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath—in Uttarakhand up to India-China border. The high-powered committee is monitoring the project.

Venugopal said Chopra has on his own written the letter to the government linking the broadening of the road to the recent flash floods on Dhauliganga River which damaged Tapovan hydro project.

“You file a response to it,” the Bench told the Attorney General, and posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks.

The top court had on January 18 asked the parties to file their objections, if any, on the report filed by the high-powered committee.

The Centre wanted the court to accept the majority report of 21-members of the high-powered committee submitted on December 31 last year recommending the road to be developed to be two-lane with paved shoulders (10 metre wide carriageways) considering the strategic requirement and snow removal needs.

It said that three members, including the chairman Ravi Chopra (minority report) were impressed upon the width of 5.5 metres as provided under the earlier circular dated March 23, 2018 issued by Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), notwithstanding the security needs of the country and the need of the defence forces to resist external aggression, if any, as the Indo-China border.

It said the majority report has taken a holistic view of the matter keeping in mind the social, economic and strategic needs of the country and protecting the environment.

Earlier, the Ministry of Defence has sought modification of the top court’s September 8, last year order which asked the MoRTH to follow the 2018 circular stipulating carriageway width of 5.5 metre, citing the prevailing situation on Indo-China border points.

In August, 2019, the top court had cleared the Chardham highway project by modifying a National Green Tribunal order to constitute a high-powered committee to look into environmental concerns.