Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna met the Minister of Environment and Forests M Veerappa Moily and requested him to consider the State's stand on the subject of the notification of eco-sensitive zone in Uttarkashi district. The CM also met the Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and discussed the Kedarnath reconstruction plan.
The CM requested Moily to establish a Ministry of Environment and Forests regional office in Dehradun to ensure speedy decisions on acquisition of forest land below five hectares area. Moily has asked the officers of the ministry to issue a notification in this regard soon. Bahuguna said that there was no representative from the state in the committee formed to study the impact of hydel projects on the environment constituted by the Supreme Court. He sought proper representation for the state on the committee to which Moily expressed agreement.
The CM also urged that before any final decision in this regard, the views of experts from IIT Roorkee, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology and Garhwal University be considered. He said that the state was developing Rajaji National Park into a tiger reserve and requested Moily to inaugurate it. Bahuguna said that hydel projects were essential for power generation and thus small hydel projects should be sanctioned. The Chief Minister sought an increase in the time frame for determination of eco sensitive zones around national parks and sanctuaries, which was accepted. Discussions were also held on giving permission for excavation in the Ganga and its tributaries in Haridwar and the Sukhro River in Pauri.
later, while meeting the Union Home minister, Bahuguna informed him that the reconstruction work in Kedarnath would begin once the weather improves and ice melts. A report had been received from Geological Survey of India in this regard. He stressed on the need to hold a high level meeting on the subject.