New Delhi: A coalition of eminent environmentalists, scientists, former ministers, and activists has made a powerful plea to the Chief Justice of India, urging an immediate review of the Supreme Court’s 2021 judgment permitting extensive road widening under the Char Dham Pariyojana in the fragile Himalayan region. The appeal, backed by over 50 prominent figures, warns that unchecked infrastructure development is accelerating climate-driven disasters and threatening the ecological balance, local communities, and India’s water security.
Mounting Himalayan Disasters Signal a Crisis
The document highlights escalating natural calamities across Himalayan states—Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir—including flash floods, landslides, and glacier bursts. It cites the 2013 Kedarnath floods, the 2021 Rishi Ganga glacial burst, and 2023’s devastating floods as clear warnings of the fragile terrain’s vulnerability.
This year alone, intensified cloudbursts and mudslides in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have caused significant loss of life and property. The recent Dharali disaster in the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (BESZ) is cited as a vivid example of how ongoing development projects exacerbate these risks.
Global climate change worsens these threats, with the IPCC’s 2021 report highlighting the accelerated melting of Himalayan glaciers—crucial freshwater sources for millions downstream.
Supreme Court Judgment Under Scrutiny
At the heart of the appeal is a demand to revisit the December 14, 2021, Supreme Court ruling that allowed a Double Lane with Paved Shoulder (DL-PS) road design—10-meter wide with 12-meter formations—for the Char Dham project. The appellants argue this ruling contradicts the Supreme Court’s own 2018 circular recommending a maximum road width of 5.5 meters for hilly terrain, disregarding the fragile Himalayan geology.
The Char Dham project, aimed at improving pilgrimage access, has caused widespread deforestation, hill cutting, and dumping of muck into rivers—heightening ecological fragility. The appeal notes that in narrow mountain valleys, simultaneous infrastructure works like hydropower tunnels and road expansions have overwhelmed the terrain’s carrying capacity.
The appeal also flags the destruction of thousands of trees and potential harm to 6,000 hectares of forest, especially in the pristine Uttarkashi-Gangotri stretch, the last remaining untouched portion of the National River Ganga.
Environmental and Human Costs: A National Concern
The appeal stresses the broader ecological fallout—destroyed springs, damaged aquifers, increased vehicular pollution impacting glaciers, and illegal tourism infrastructure compounding the problem. It laments how unchecked multi-storey hotels on vulnerable slopes worsen disaster impact during floods and landslides.
Economic losses are staggering: the 2025 monsoon damage estimate in Uttarakhand alone is ₹5,700 crores, with season-long losses nearing ₹50,000 crores—the worst since the 2013 Kedarnath floods, which caused over ₹3,800 crores in damages.
The Himalayan ecosystem supports over 600 million people downstream, making its protection a critical national priority.
A Diverse and Influential Coalition
The appeal is endorsed by a stellar lineup including former Union Ministers Dr. Karan Singh and Dr. Murli Manohar Joshi, MPs Reta Ram Singh and Jaya Sabha, environmental experts like Prof. Shekhar Pathak and Dr. Y.P. Sundriyal, activists such as K. Govindacharya, and organizations like the Centre for Science and Environment and Ganga Action Parivar.
The coalition invokes Article 51A(g) of the Constitution, emphasizing the collective duty to protect the environment amid unprecedented Himalayan crises.
The Way Forward: Disaster-Resilient Development
The appeal urges the Supreme Court to:
- Review and recall the 2021 DL-PS road width judgment for the Char Dham project.
- Quash the December 15, 2020, MoRTH circular mandating 10-meter roads in hilly terrain.
- Enforce adherence to the 2018 circular limiting road width to 5.5 meters in mountainous areas.
Recognize the necessity for disaster-resilient infrastructure rather than large-scale widening that heightens ecological fragility.
The appellants warn that ignoring these demands will cause irreversible damage to the Himalayan ecosystem and jeopardize India’s water security and climate resilience.
This urgent appeal arrives at a critical juncture as India—and the world—faces intensifying climate emergencies, calling for balanced development that respects the Himalayas as the nation’s vital “water tower.”
