Char Dham panel chief Ravi Chopra resigns from his position
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

Char Dham panel chief Ravi Chopra resigns from his position

Ravi Chopra, a veteran environmentalist, resigned from the position of chairman of the High Powered Committee (HPC) of the Supreme Court on the Char Dham project. He states that his belief that HPC would protect the fragile Himalayan ecology is shattered.

In his letter of resignation to the Supreme Court’s secretary-general on January 27, he referred to the December 2021 order of the apex court that had accepted the wider road configuration to meet the defense requirements, instead of the recommendation from HPC. In September 2020 it was accepted by the Supreme Court in its earlier order.

Chopra added that the judgment also confined HPC’s role only to oversee the two Non-Defence roads. In the past, HPC‘s directions and recommendations have been ignored or tardily responded to by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

The experience fails to inspire confidence that responses of the ministry will be any different even in terms of the two Non-Defence roads.

The Honorable Court also gave permission for seeking legal relief for the widening of the highways. In these circumstances, Chopra does not see any purpose to continue to head the committee or indeed, furthermore to be a part of it.

The letter also mentioned that Chopra was compelled by an inner voice to help in restoring the Himalayan environment and livelihoods to accept the position in September 2019, despite his age. And now the same inner voice is compelling him to move out.

Image Source

Also read: MoRTH inaugurates rail-cum-road bridge project of Rs 696 cr

Ravi Chopra, a veteran environmentalist, resigned from the position of chairman of the High Powered Committee (HPC) of the Supreme Court on the Char Dham project. He states that his belief that HPC would protect the fragile Himalayan ecology is shattered. In his letter of resignation to the Supreme Court’s secretary-general on January 27, he referred to the December 2021 order of the apex court that had accepted the wider road configuration to meet the defense requirements, instead of the recommendation from HPC. In September 2020 it was accepted by the Supreme Court in its earlier order. Chopra added that the judgment also confined HPC’s role only to oversee the two Non-Defence roads. In the past, HPC‘s directions and recommendations have been ignored or tardily responded to by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). The experience fails to inspire confidence that responses of the ministry will be any different even in terms of the two Non-Defence roads. The Honorable Court also gave permission for seeking legal relief for the widening of the highways. In these circumstances, Chopra does not see any purpose to continue to head the committee or indeed, furthermore to be a part of it. The letter also mentioned that Chopra was compelled by an inner voice to help in restoring the Himalayan environment and livelihoods to accept the position in September 2019, despite his age. And now the same inner voice is compelling him to move out. Image Source Also read: MoRTH inaugurates rail-cum-road bridge project of Rs 696 cr

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

VECV Sales Rise 7.8 Per Cent In May 2026

VE Commercial Vehicles recorded sales of 7,978 units in May 2026, compared to 7,401 units in May 2025, registering growth of 7.8 per cent. This included 7,789 units from the Eicher brand and 189 units from the Volvo brand.Eicher branded trucks and buses reported sales of 7,789 units during the month, up 7.3 per cent from 7,258 units a year earlier. In the domestic commercial vehicle market, Eicher sales rose 9.1 per cent to 7,375 units from 6,758 units in May 2025.Exports declined 17.2 per cent to 414 units from 500 units in the corresponding month last year. Volvo Trucks and Volvo Buses recor..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Table Space Strengthens DESYN Leadership Team

Table Space has announced strategic leadership appointments within DESYN, its integrated Design and Build business, as it looks to strengthen operations across key enterprise and GCC markets in India. DESYN was launched as a strategic extension of Table Space’s workspace solutions portfolio to meet rising demand for agile, high-quality and rapidly deployable enterprise workspaces.Shruti Ookabhoy has joined DESYN as Executive Director and will lead the Design vertical, focusing on design capability, operational excellence and team development across markets. She brings over 22 years of experi..

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Concord Associate Bags Rs 2.79 Bn Kavach Order

Concord Control Systems said its associate company, Progota India, has received a Rs 2.79 bn domestic order from Indian Railways for the supply, installation, testing and commissioning of on-board Kavach 4.0 loco equipment.The order is scheduled for execution within 12 months and strengthens Concord’s role in India’s railway safety and signalling ecosystem. Kavach is India’s indigenous automatic train protection system, designed to improve operational safety by helping prevent signal passing at danger and reducing collision risks.Gaurav Lath, Joint Managing Director, Concord Control Syst..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement