Collective to appeal against SC’s 2021 Char Dham verdict

In the light of the recurring disasters across Himalayan states, this collective met on Wednesday to deliberate on the threats facing the ecologically fragile region. The members adopted a slew of resolutions, including challenging the SC judgment, seeking demarcation of eco-sensitive zones in upper reaches of Himalayas and buffer zones around glaciers, and green bonuses for hill states for their ecosystem services.

The collective also decided to reach out to Centre’s think-tank NITI Aayog on the issues faced by the pan-Himalayan region in the country.

The day-long event saw politicians across the aisle — Murli Manohar Joshi, Karan Singh, senior RSS office-bearer Krishna Gopal, former Congress MP Pradeep Tamta, Tehri BJP MLA Kishore Upadhyaya. Mallika Bhanot of Ganga Avhaan, Ashwani Mahajan of Swadeshi Jagran Manch, former Environment ministry secretary Ashok Lavasa, former secretaries of Water Resources ministry Shashi Shekhar and U P Singh also spoke at the event.

Joshi said what bothered him the most was that the entire Char Dham project work was being done citing defence and security needs. Singh said the Centre should form an independent commission or authority to oversee the protection of the Himalayas, and if need be, an international trans-Himalayan body should be formed. The 2021 SC judgment had upheld the plan to widen three national highways as strategic feeder roads to areas bordering China.