The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed double-lane widening of roads for the Char Dham project in Uttarakhand in view of security concerns.
A bench headed by Justice DY Chandrachud also set up an oversight committee to report directly to the court regarding the project.
The oversight committee, which will be headed by former Justice AK Sikri, shall receive all support from the Defence Ministry, Ministry of Road Transport, Uttarakhand Government and all district magistrates.
This committee, which will submit a report every four months, will also have representatives from the National Environmental Research Institute and the Ministry of Environment. Its objective is to ensure the implementation of existing recommendations.
The Char Dham project is a strategic 900-km long project worth Rs 12,000 crore which aims to provide all-weather connectivity to four holy destinations or popularly known as Char Dhams – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath – in Uttarakhand.
The order was passed after the top court heard the Centre’s plea seeking modification of the September 8, 2020 order, which had asked the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) to follow the 2018 circular stipulating carriageway width of 5.5 metre on the ambitious Chardham highway project, which goes up to the border with China.
In its application, the MoD had said it seeks modification of the order and directions that the national highways from Rishikesh to Mana, from Rishikesh to Gangotri, and from Tanakpur to Pithoragarh may be developed to two-lane configuration.
Last month the court said the issue – concern for the environment vs felling of trees to widen roads – was ‘nuanced’. The needs of the environment and that of defence have to be balanced, the court said.
