Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has put on hold the proposed tree felling for the four-lane highway linking Rishikesh and Bhaniyawala, saying the exercise remains, “subject to consensus of all stakeholders.
“However, until the government could ensure dialogue, public trust and broader consensus, they would not move forward with the project,” Dhami said.
The ruling comes after a few days of protest by local residents and environmental activists against the extensive tree cutting. Protestors too revived the iconic Chipko Andolan, hugging trees against cutting down the same.
Many residents complained that the benefits of major projects are apparent on their visits, in the form of visitors and business opportunities, but that environmental impacts were left to them.
This proposed highway expansion will traverse through an ecologically important area called the Shivalik region, which encompasses an elephant corridor and part of the Rajaji National Park.
Environmentalists have voiced opposition over the idea that development can’t be achieved without the destruction of forests, and emphasize that mature forests can’t be quickly substituted.
But the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) defended the far costlier but Rs 743 crore project, saying it was important to enhance connectivity between Dehradun, Jolly Grant Airport and Rishikesh, and also to ease the traffic during the conduct of the Char Dham Yatra in Uttarakhand.
NHAI says the highway design has already undergone change with the width of the highway being reduced from 60 metres to 23 metres to minimize the forest land requirements. The Forest Research Institute (FRI) has also identified 754 trees that can be transplanted.
The project is intended to overcome the increasing traffic volumes, which can be expected to be further increased by tourism and pilgrimage.