Environmental Expert Ravi Chopra Emphasizes Need for Detailed Geological Study Before Infrastructure Activities in Himalayas for Char Dham Project

The recent rescue of 41 workers from the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand has brought relief to the nation, but it has also sparked concerns about the safety and execution of the mega infrastructure project in an ecologically sensitive region. The 4.5-km Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel, part of the Union government's ambitious Char Dham Mahamarg Pariyojana, witnessed a collapse on November 12, trapping the workers for 17 days until their rescue.

While commendable, the successful rescue operation has prompted questions about the overall safety measures and planning for the infrastructure project, which aims to widen highways for almost 900 km in Uttarakhand to ensure all-weather connectivity to the Hindu pilgrimage sites of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Badrinath, and Kedarnath.

The Silkyara tunnel collapse has raised concerns about the rushed construction and the neglect of necessary safeguards. In August 2019, the Supreme Court established a high-powered committee, headed by environmentalist Ravi Chopra, to assess the "cumulative and independent" impact of the Char Dham Mahamarg Pariyojana on the entire Himalayan valleys.

However, in January 2022, Chopra resigned as the committee chairman, citing the court's decision to overlook recommendations, including those related to limiting the width of the highways for ecological reasons. In an interview, Chopra warns that incidents like the tunnel collapse are a consequence of neglecting crucial safeguards and hastily executing construction projects in environmentally fragile zones.

ET