To register protest against the eco-sensitive zone, which was declared by Union Ministry of Environment and Forest, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna along with his Cabinet colleague is going to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on May 6 in New Delhi.
Talking to media, opposing the notification, which declared a vast stretch of land from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi on either side of the Bhagirathi River as an eco-sensitive zone, the CM said that this would adversely affect the infrastructure development projects in the area. Sources said that if State failed to compel the Union Government, to review the decision then Uttarakhand, which is having more than 65 per cent forest cover, will witness migration and the deserted areas may be utilised by the Maoists in near future.
Several infrastructure development projects are in the pipeline in the region and the Centre's move will stall nearly all of them including construction of bridges, BRO's realignment work and flood control measures.
Bahuguna said that he along with his Cabinet colleagues is going to Delhi on May 6 to apprise the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and will request him to reconsider the notification. Roads and bridges are to be built in the region which had got damaged in 2012 due to natural calamity. With the notification, we will not be able to start the projects. CM also reiterated that they will discuss the matter with the Centre and leave no stone unturned to ensure that the notification does not affect the development work in the region. For this, he has also appealed the Uttarakhand MPs to be part of delegation while meeting with the Prime Minister.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests issued a notification recently declaring 41 km area on either side of the Bhagirathi as eco-sensitive zone. This will impose restrictions on quarrying, commissioning hydropower projects on Bhagirathi and construction of roads in the prohibited area which includes villages prone to natural calamities like cloudbursts and flash floods. It will also impose a blanket ban on felling of trees and setting up of factories in the area.
To gauge the impact with the notification, then chief secretary Alok Kumar Jain had convened a meeting with officials including forest department, had convened a meeting on April 25. In which they had discussed the legal aspects, the adverse effects and practical issues involved. later, they had decided that state government would request the union government to review the decision as it would have an adverse impact on the economic development of the State as development activity would stop in the area.
With this notification it is being presumed that hydropower projects capacity of 1,743 MW would be closed and State will have to face loss of around Rs2,000 crore. The mining and construction (hotels and resorts) and land use conversion would be affected in between Gaumukh and Uttarkashi. The State Government had already taken several measures to protect the Ganga and the environment.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary said that there was a lot of difference between the draft notification and the actual notification issues. In the draft, only 100 metre area on the banks of the Ganga was included but in the notification, the entire area has been included in the eco sensitive zone.
Earlier, there was a ban on constructing hydropower projects of above 25 MW but now they have imposed ban on above 2 MW hydropower projects. During the meeting it was revealed that objections, which were raised by the state regarding the draft notification, were ignored in the notification. A resolution passed by the Vidhan Sabha was sent to the Union Government for their consideration. Even the Chief Minister has also sent a letter objecting to the declaration of the eco-sensitive zone.