In a statement made in the Rajya Sabha, Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, discussed the threat of landslides in Uttarakhand, specifically in the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone. He mentioned that the government was contemplating modifications to some of the roads being constructed under the Chardham project due to these concerns.

Gadkari was addressing a question posed by Ranjit Ranjan, a Congress member from Chhattisgarh. Ranjan had highlighted that, out of the nearly 900 kilometers of roads planned under the Chardham project, only 150 kilometres of the final stretch remained to be completed. He inquired whether it was possible to avoid widening the roads in this area, which lies within the Bhagirathi River zone, known for maintaining the river Ganga?s natural flow.

Gadkari explained that the stretch in question was strategically significant for transporting defence equipment to the China border. Given the frequent landslides in the region, three measures had been decided upon: first, to employ a via-duct to ensure the road does not physically touch the mountain; second, to construct a concrete shelter for landslide protection; and third, to potentially build tunnels, even if it required an additional expenditure of Rs 20 to Rs 40 billion. He emphasised the importance of protecting the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone, ensuring that trees were preserved, noting that nearly 30 million trees had been planted and 78,000 transplanted.

Gadkari also recalled that last November, a section of the Silkyara tunnel, part of the Chardham project, had collapsed, trapping miners who were eventually rescued after a two-week operation.

The Chardham project had been controversial due to its tunnelling and excavation through unstable Himalayan terrain, as well as the decision by project proponents to divide it into 53 smaller segments to avoid a cumulative impact assessment.