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2mo ago

Joshi, Karan Singh Urge Supreme Court to Revisit 2021 Nod for Wider Char Dham Roads

The appeal claims defence‑driven widening to DL‑PS standards has intensified hazards in Uttarakhand’s Bhagirathi zone.

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This judgement, if not reviewed, will lead to irreparable and immediate impact in the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (BESZ), which is the origin valley of the national river Ganga and is also the site of the recent Dharali disaster, the letter said. (Representative photo)
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Overview

  • Veterans Murli Manohar Joshi and Karan Singh have written to Chief Justice B. R. Gavai seeking a review and recall of the 2021 ruling that permitted wider feeder highways.
  • The letter, backed by 57 signatories including historians and environmentalists, urges a return to 5.5‑metre mountain road norms recommended by an expert committee.
  • Petitioners cite recent monsoon disasters, the Dharali event in the Bhagirathi Eco‑Sensitive Zone, and a June 2025 study noting 811 landslide zones, attributing many to hill cutting.
  • They object to an in‑principle forest diversion for an 8.7‑km BESZ bypass that would fell about 3,000 trees and affect 17 hectares, with another stretch flagged for 6,000 deodar trees.
  • Authorities maintain the 2021 order allowed DL‑PS standards on three strategic routes, project work has progressed to roughly 629 km of 825 km, and no judicial change has been announced.