At a time when erratic weather patterns and environmental degradation in the Himalayas are under the spotlight, the Centre has said it approved felling of 17,625 trees on the Gangotri and Yamunotri stretch and is monitoring over 2,800 glacial lakes and water bodies. It was responding to notices issued by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in a suo motu matter.
In October, the NGT’s principal bench headed by chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A. Senthil Vel had taken suo motu cognizance of a news report that had raised environmental concerns on Himalayan ecology. The tribunal had cited substantial issues relating to compliance of environmental norms.
The tribunal had impleaded the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Central Pollution Control Board, Department of Urban Development and Tourism Board, Uttarakhand government and National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and sought responses from them. Following a hearing on January 19, the tribunal has also made the National Institute of Hydrology a party to the matter.
The approvals for felling of 17,625 trees were granted between 2017 and 2020 for 13 proposals sanctioned under the Centre’s flagship Chardham all-weather road expansion project, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change submitted before the NGT. The Centre’s submission, though, did not cover recent forest diversion approvals for road stretches in the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone, which were given at the Uttarakhand state government-level.
The expansion works under the Chardham project have faced flak from locals and environmentalists alike in light of the August 2025 Dharali disaster. Veteran BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi and former Union minister Karan Singh had sought a pause on the remaining works, and a revisit of the road-laying plans.
The National Mission for Clean Ganga, in response to the NGT’s notice, said glaciers in the Bhagirathi and Yamuna catchments are retreating due to regional warming.
A total of 13 proposals for diversion of forest land were granted approval for the Gangotri and Yamunotri National Highways. To “avoid violations” and environmental damage, a high-powered committee was constituted in August 2019 on orders of the Supreme Court.
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In its response, the Union Environment Ministry said, as per the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2006, road expansion projects are appraised for prior environmental clearance, either by Central or state-level authorities depending on the length, additional right-of-way or land acquisition required. It also informed that following a 2022 amendment to the EIA notification, 2006, all highway projects up to 100 km from the Line of Control or border have been exempted subject to compliance of a standard operating procedure.
