The Chardham Project: A Legal and Environmental Debate on National Security vs. Ecological Stability
UPSC Relevance
Prelims: Environment & Ecology (Eco-Sensitive Zones, Environmental Impact Assessment); Disaster Management (Landslides); Indian Polity and Governance (Role of Judiciary); Geography of India (Himalayan region); Defence and Security.
Mains:
General Studies Paper 2 (Polity & Governance): The role of the judiciary in balancing competing interests (development, security, environment).
General Studies Paper 3 (Environment, Disaster Management, Security): Disaster and disaster management; Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation; Security challenges and their management in border areas. This is a perfect case study for the often-conflicting goals within GS3.
Essay: The "Development vs. Environment" or "National Security vs. Environment" debate.
Key Highlights from the News
A new petition has been filed in the Supreme Court by senior leaders and environmental activists, demanding a review of the 2021 Supreme Court verdict that permitted the widening of Himalayan roads to 10 meters as part of the Chardham project.
The court had granted permission in 2021 to widen three major routes leading to the Chinese border, considering the demand from the Defence Ministry.
However, the petitioners argue that these construction activities have caused massive landslides and ecological damage.
This often renders these strategic routes unusable during the monsoon, even defeating the military objective of the project.
Therefore, the petition requests a return to the old decision of 5.5-metre roads, as recommended by an expert committee.
This issue represents a major conflict between National Security and Environmental Security.
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