Prominent Leaders Demand Immediate Cancellation of Road Projects in Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone
In a significant development, former Union minister Murali Manohar Joshi, ex-Rajya Sabha MP Karan Singh, former Rajya Sabha MP Rewati Raman Singh, and KN Govindacharya of Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan have jointly demanded the immediate cancellation of forest clearances granted for two major road projects in Uttarakhand's Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone. The leaders, along with other concerned citizens, have warned that these projects could cause irreversible ecological damage to one of India's most fragile environmental regions.
Urgent Communication to Central Ministers
The group sent a detailed communication on Friday, February 27, to multiple authorities including Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The letter was also addressed to the Secretary of Uttarakhand Forest Department and the Director General of the Border Roads Organisation.
The communication specifically demands:
- Cancellation of forest clearances for the Netala bypass and Jhala-Jangla road projects
- Fresh cumulative environmental and disaster-risk assessment for all ongoing and proposed works in the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone
- Restriction of road width to 5.5 meters within the zone, in line with local residents' demands and scientific rationale
Allegations of Illegal Clearances
The leaders have made serious allegations against the forest clearances granted through letters dated November 12, 2025, and July 17, 2025. They claim these clearances for the Netala bypass and Jhala-Jangla stretch are "illegal, untenable and violative of binding constitutional, statutory and judicial mandates."
According to their communication, both projects involve large-scale felling of Deodar trees and proceed despite unchanged disaster risks in the region. The leaders argue this directly violates the precautionary principle, which is now firmly embedded in Indian environmental jurisprudence.
"The precautionary principle mandates that, where there is a reasonable likelihood of serious or irreversible environmental harm, the absence of absolute scientific certainty cannot be a ground for proceeding with destructive activities," the communique states.
Post-Disaster Context and Climate Change Concerns
The communication emphasizes that in the post-Dharali context, continuing with road widening, hill cutting, and deforestation in the Bhagirathi valley directly violates environmental principles. The leaders stress that all assessments must reflect post-disaster realities and climate-change impacts, given the valley's extreme geological and ecological vulnerability.
They argue that the clearances proceed "though the disaster risk remains unchanged, which is completely wrong" and call for immediate preventive action to protect the sensitive ecosystem.
Official Response and Ongoing Debate
Meanwhile, Uttarakhand forest officials have maintained that all rules and regulations are being followed in the approval process. The subject line of the leaders' communication - "Demand for Justice and Immediate Preventive Action in the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone" - underscores the urgency of their concerns.
The debate highlights the ongoing tension between infrastructure development and environmental conservation in ecologically sensitive regions of Uttarakhand, with prominent political figures now joining local residents in demanding greater protection for the Bhagirathi valley's fragile ecosystem.
