City
Epaper

SC clears Chardham highway project

By IANS | Updated: August 16, 2019 19:00 IST

The Supreme Court has allowed various works in progress under Centre's Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojna plan for connecting four holy places Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kdarnath and Badrinath by an all-weather road.

Open in App

An apex court bench comprising Justices Rohinton Fali Nariman and Surya Kant also ordered the Ministry of Environment and Forests to form a high-powered committee (HPC) by August 22.

The bench said the committee will consider cumulative as well as independent impact of the Chardham project on entire Himalayan valleys.

The committee will also give directions to conduct Environmental Impact Assessment by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the court said and asked the committee to submit its recommendations within four months.

The bench said the committee will hold quarterly meetings to ensure compliance and may suggest any further measure after each review meeting.

The committee would consider if revision of the full Chardham project should at all take place in order to minimize the adverse impact on the environment and social life.

The court said the committee will also assess the environmental degradation, loss of forest lands, water resources and the impact on the wildlife. The committee will direct mitigation measures.

The court was hearing a plea by NGO Citizen for Green Doon against the National Green Tribunal's September 26 2018 order giving its conditional approval to the connectivity project in view of larger public interest.

The NGT, while clearing the Chardham project, had said: "We are of the view that all environmental concerns can be addressed by having a responsible and independent oversight mechanism which may monitor the environmental safeguards during the execution of the project."

The NGO said the NGT, instead of looking at the entire project as one whole, viewed it in over 50 segments, which made them appear small projects not necessitating environment clearance or public hearing.

The NGO said that the hills in the region are fragile and that if the project is allowed to continue, it would cause an irreversible damage to ecology that would be equal to the damage done together by 10 hydro power projects.

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: NGTRohinton Fali NarimanSurya KantThe Ministry Of Environment
Open in App

Related Stories

Navi MumbaiNGT Slaps Rs 10,000 Fine on TTD for Delay in Responding to Environmental Concerns in Ulwe Temple Case

ThaneThane News: Environment Activists Sound Alarm Over Illegal Stone Quarrying Near Skyscrapers

Navi Mumbai30-Acre DPS Flamingo Lake to Be Maintained as Conservation Reserve After Pink Bird Deaths

MaharashtraNavi Mumbai: CIDCO Files Review Petition Against NGT Order Restricting Construction on Nerul Plot

AurangabadCollect environmental compensation of Rs 10L per month from CSMC

National Realted Stories

NationalRahul Gandhi in Kashmir, meets those injured in Pahalgam terror attack

NationalSibal urges PM Modi to convene Parliament session to pass resolution against terrorism

EntertainmentAamir Khan Skips Screening Of Andaz Apna Apna, Says, ‘Affected By Senseless Killings Of Pahalgam Terror Attack’

NationalTransport Ministry hauls up Ola Electric over missing trade certificates, EV firm responds

National‘Good and Bad’ Adils of Pahalgam attack: One who saved, one who killed