Uttarakhand Netala Bypass Forest Clearance Row

Approval has been given by the Uttarakhand forest department on the proposal of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to build the Netala bypass of the Char Dham project. The acceptance allows exploitation of 17.5 hectares of forest cover in the sensitive eco-Bhagirathi area, prompting environmentalists and local people to protest against the move on the basis of environmental and legal breach.

Netala Bypass Project

The bypass has a length of 8.07 km, between Hina and Tekhla on the NH-34. Under the management of BRO, the road seeks to expand the already existing tracks by 10 metres although the Supreme Court had previously restricted them to 5.5 metres in this sensitive area.

Law and environmental issues.

According to activists, the clearance is against the Supreme Court orders and HPC recommendations which suggested that there should be minimum road expansion and the deodar forests should be highly secured. The Court mandated in 2020 that detailed terrain and environmental studies would be required, but critics allege that they were disregarded, which could be regarded as contempt of court.

Ecological Impact

• Safety of slopes and biodiversity is at risk as thousands of deodar trees are cut.
• The Ganga ecology zone, the Bhagirathi, also faces the threat of disturbing water cycles and houses.
• Scientists have cautioned that the cutting down of trees will increase soil erosion and landslides in the already weak Himalayan soil.

Risks to Communities

Local people claim that previous portions of Char Dham work caused landslides, which made the movement dangerous. They are worried that the bypass will increase monsoon disasters and put downstream lives and livelihoods at risk. There are increasing calls to review and cancel the clearance independently.

Public Response

The decision has been denounced by civil groups such as the Himalayan Nagrik Drishti Manch as an ecological attack. Their call is to the central ministries and oversight committees to think again, and they emphasize that sustainable development should not be achieved at the expense of delicate Himalayan ecosystems.