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Bhagirathi zone panel seeks report on proposed ski chair lift in Uttarkashi
The project has been proposed in the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone over an area of 4,179 sq kms in the Himalayas. The monitoring committee met on Monday evening under the chairmanship of chief secretary SS Sandhu.
Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone (BESZ) monitoring committee has sought a detailed report on the proposed ski chair lift project in Dayara Bugyyal or Himalayan meadow in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand.
The project has been proposed in the Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone over an area of 4,179 sq kms in the Himalayas. The monitoring committee met on Monday evening under the chairmanship of chief secretary SS Sandhu.
Uttarkashi district magistrate Mayur Dixit, a committee member, said, “The decision on the project will be taken after we have studied its details.”
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Dixit said among the issues discussed in the meeting on Monday included conservation initiatives that need to be taken, disaster management practices that need to be adopted.
The zonal master plan of BESZ was approved in July last year by the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC). This would expedite the execution of the Char Dham road project.
Meanwhile, Hemant Dhyani, a resident of BESZ and member of Supreme Court appointed High Powered committee (HPC) on Char Dham Project has written to the state chief secretary, alleging violation and non-compliance of BESZ notification.
Dhyani said in his letter that in February this year, Uttarkashi DM permitted someone from outside the state to buy 0.659 hectare agriculture land in BESZ for construction of a resort, which is based on misleading information that distance of river Bhagirathi is about 100 m north of this land. “I have attached photos in the letter which show that the entire land is just adjacent to the active flood plain of river Bhagirathi,” he said.
Dhyani alleged that the land use was also changed to facilitate the construction through a letter issued by the district administration in May this year. “It is not only in gross violation of BESZ notification but also violates the by-laws of the state itself which prohibit construction close to the river flood plain.”
Dhyani has urged the monitoring committee to cancel land-use change permission given in February, carry out environmental impact assessment (EIA) as per the standard procedure set by MoEF&CC for the activities of land-use change in case of village road construction, solid waste management site or any other similar activities and disqualify all such commercial complexes in close proximity of water streams or rivers.
