Activists have averred that while the government has set a target of tree plantation on 30,000 hectare area under Namami Gange mission for ecological improvement of the Ganga river, more than 10,000 green Deodar trees between Gangotri and Harshil are marked for the axe to facilitate road widening. The group of activists led by Gandhian Radha Behen, who conducted a study and interacted with local villagers in the region opined that big projects like the all-weather roads to be constructed in the name of pilgrimage to Char Dham shrines will once again lead to disaster-like situation.
Addressing the media at the Press Club, recipient of the Indira Gandhi Paryavaran Puraskar, Radhan Behen said that the Himalayan region at the source of the Ganga—Gangotri had witnessed such alarming temperature rise that snowfall has decreased drastically. “In such a situation if the remaining greenery is removed on a large scale, the Gangotri area might get converted into a hot valley. We are already concerned about the pace of melting of the Himalayan glaciers. On the one hand the government talks of tree plantation in projects like Namami Gange while on the other hand, major projects like all weather roads threaten to create disaster-like situation. Before starting any such project, the government should involve the local people, who in this case also include those who had given their lands in 1962 for construction of the road in this region. It is the local residents who know how in river-valleys where large construction projects are taking place, the people have been rendered homeless by disasters caused by human actions,” she said.
Environmentalist Suresh Bhai said that the study group had interacted with Panchayat representatives, members of the religious fraternity, villagers and forest dwellers between Uttarkashi and Gangotri at Harshil, Jhala, Purali, Jaspur, Sukkhi and Bhatwadi among other villages. He said, “To widen road in the sensitive Himalayan region according to standards used for Dehradun and Haridwar is dangerous for the environment. The Uttarkashi-Gangotri highway is currently about four to six metres wide and this highway is being widened to 18-24 metres. The destruction of forest wealth this will entail needs to be considered seriously. Construction on steep slopes and cutting of forests increase the rate of landslides,” he said. Suresh Bhai further said that in view of the recent High Court decision according living entity status to Ganga, other rivers and trees, it should be ascertained whether those cutting green trees will be booked for murder. Activist Biju Negi, scientist Ravi Chopra and author Praveen Kumar Bhatt were also present in the Press conference.