There’s no middle path for ecosensitive zones

The decision to open the BESZ in Uttarakhand could prove dangerous

Union road transport minister Nitin Gadkari announced last week that the Centre would soon start road and other projects in the 100-km-long Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone (BESZ) in the upper reaches of Uttarakhand after securing approval for them from all concerned departments. This policy scraps the one announced by the United Progressive Alliance in 2012 which marked the area as a no-development zone and asked the state to constitute a monitoring committee to ensure that those activities allowed in the zone can be conducted without disturbing the environment. The policy was opposed by all parties in the state. Now, the National Democratic Alliance has said projects in the zone will be cleared on a case-to-case basis.

One of the first projects to be considered will be the allweather road that connects the religiously significant Char Dham ---Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. The road was promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the run-up to the assembly elections in 2017. The promise of a road in an area that has serious infrastructure challenges obviously went down well with the voters.

The decision to open up the BESZ has raised questions on the correct thing to do in this ecologically fragile zone. One of the main reasons why the decision has raised a red flag is the experience of the 2013 floods in the state. That year, a sudden cloudburst led to a devastating flashfloods in the state, killing people and destroying property. Several panels created to study the flashflood warned the state against disturbing this area.

Mr Gadkari’s claim is that the government has found a ‘middle path’ by ensuring that departments carrying out ‘development’ works see to it that conditions for carrying out such projects are complied with. This is not reassuring; the state’s environment-protection record has not been exemplary.