DEHRADUN: A high-level meeting was held on Saturday to access the development of the Char Dham road widening project.
Director general of road development Manoj Kumar, who chaired the meeting, said that work on the 87 km stretch of Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone will continue to be stalled till a zonal master plan is formed.
Kumar said, “Around 36 mini projects of Char Dham worth Rs 6,000 crore have been sanctioned and work has been awarded on 24 projects. Work has been stalled in Uttarkashi and a zonal master plan is being formulated first following National Green Tribunal (NGT) directions.”
As per notification issued by the environment ministry in 2012, all works in 100-km stretch from Gomukh to Uttarkashi have to be decided on the guidelines of zonal master plan. A committee headed by additional chief secretary is holding talks with experts to prepare the plan.
Environmentalists expressed concern that the mountains that have been cut to widen the road may trigger landslides during Monsoon. Kumar said, “The exposed parts of mountains would be treated but it would be better if it is allowed to get settled in the first monsoon.”
He added that three major landslides —Lambagad, Hathipahar in Chamoli and Kaliyasaur in Rudraprayag — will be treated first with techniques such as soil nailing, rock bolting and rock fall barriers.
O P Shrivastava, head of Char Dham project in the state, said, “Around 10% forest land acquired under the project has been allotted to be used as dumping zone. In each project, the arrangement of two dumping zones has been made.”
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