Uttarakhand forest department clears BRO plan for Netala bypass, part of Char Dham road project
Activists say approval violates Supreme Court orders and High Power Committee recommendations
Thousands of deodar trees could be felled in fragile Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone
Locals fear widening roads will worsen landslides and threaten lives during monsoon
Citizens’ groups demand immediate cancellation of approval and independent inspection
Uttarakhand’s forest department has granted in-principle approval for the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to use 17.5 hectares of forest land for the construction of a bypass road that is part of the Char Dham project, sparking outrage among environmentalists and citizen forums.
On July 15, 2025, the state’s chief conservator of forests approved the diversion of forest land for an 8.07-kilometre stretch between Hina and Tekhla, known locally as the Netala bypass, along National Highway 34. The order, uploaded on the government’s Parivesh portal, allows the BRO to begin road-widening work in the fragile Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone.
Environmentalists argue that the decision represents a blatant violation of the Supreme Court’s directions and the recommendations of the High Power Committee (HPC), which has repeatedly cautioned against large-scale road construction in this landslide-prone region.
In a letter sent on August 25, 2025 to the Chardham project oversight committee and several central ministries, the Himalayan Nagrik Drishti Manch alleged that the approval amounted to contempt of court.
“Uttarakhand is facing continuous tragedies,” an activist associated with the forum told Down To Earth. “This project is near Dharali, where disaster struck recently. Yet trees are being cut continuously, even though these forests are the only strength of such environmentally sensitive areas.”
Local activists including Nagesh Jagudi, advocate Murari Lal Bhatt, councillor American Puri, Gautam Bhatt ‘Sathi’, Deepak Ramola and Geeta Gairola have also signed an objection letter. They argue that felling thousands of deodar trees between Jhala and Bhairoghati in violation of HPC recommendations would destabilise slopes and intensify risks for communities downstream.
The HPC had earlier stated that the bypass should not be built in this highly sensitive zone and that the felling of deodar trees must be stopped “at all costs”. It had recommended limited improvements rather than new road alignments.
Despite this, activists say, the BRO is planning a 10-metre blacktop road, while the Supreme Court in its September 7, 2020 order explicitly capped road width at 5.5 metres within the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone. The Forum reminded authorities of the court’s para-55 order, which required sensitivity and terrain assessments before any construction, assessments they claim were ignored.
“The arbitrariness and haste of the BRO is not only a threat to the environment but also to local lives and livelihoods,” the Forum wrote.
Residents say road widening carried out by the BRO from Rishikesh to Uttarkashi has already triggered significant damage. “Every rainy season, new landslide zones are emerging,” one resident said. Travel during the monsoon, especially between Nalupani and Chamba, has become “life-threatening”, locals added.
The Himalayan Citizen Forum said that instead of learning from repeated disasters, the state is pushing through projects that destabilise the mountains further. “This is not just a road,” the group said. “It is a direct attack on thousands of pine and deodar trees, the stability of the mountains, and the ecology of the Ganga.”