Char Dham Project Explained: Purpose, Need And Ecological Impact

For those planning for a pilgrimage to the Char Dham of Uttarakhand, travelling to the pilgrimage locations is set to get much easier.?

The all-weather connectivity Char Dham road to Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath is almost completed. With more than 70 per cent of the work completed, about 224 kms is left to be completed.?

Representative image/ Shutterstock

Costing over Rs 11,700 crore, the foundation stone of the project was laid in December 2016 and initially expected to be completed by March 2020. However, the deadline was extended to December 2024.?

What is the Char Dham project??

The Char Dham project is a two-lane highway project currently under construction in the state of Uttarakhand by the Border Road Organisation.?

It will widen 900 km of highways connecting the pilgrimage sites and the Tanakpur-Pithoragarh stretch of National Highway (NH) 125, a part of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route.?

Why was the Char Dham project introduced??

Uttarakhand receives a large number of tourists every season. In 2022, close to five crore tourists, 3.8 crore Kanwar yatris and 45 lakh Char dham pilgrims visited Uttarakhand, as quoted by TOI.?

Kedarnath, one of the Char Dhams in Uttarakhand

It is in order to ensure their safety that the project was introduced with the intent of improving existing roads and highways for ease of travel.?

The following are the benefits expected to accrue from the Char Dham Project:?

- It will boost tourism which is the backbone of the state of Uttarakhand?

- It is expected to bring down accidents?

- It will improve border security as the army will be able to deploy faster to the Chinese border.?

Challenges faced by the project?

In 2018, the Char Dham project was challenged for its potentially hazardous impact on the Himalayan ecology.?

Infrastructure projects require felling of trees and destruction of ecosystems. In hilly areas, this results in massive landslides and other environmental disasters.?

According to the 'Landslide Atlas' report prepared by Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Uttarakhand's Rudraprayag district, which houses the Kedarnath shrine, has "maximum exposure to landslide risk in the country".?

Representative image

Another Uttarakhand district, Tehri ranks second in the list.?

The Supreme Court had established a High-Powered Committee (HPC) to consider the impact of the Chardham project on the Himalayan valleys.?

The report submitted by the HPC stated that a disaster-resilient road is much more critical than a wider road prone to frequent blockages, landslides and recurring slope failures.?

Subsequently, the SC allowed the double-lane paved configuration for the Chardham road project.? ??

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