Sunderlal Bahuguna supports ropeways over roads in hilly regions

Environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna is of the view that ropeways should be built in hilly areas instead of roads, which are constructed after blasting the surface, endangering the fragile eco system.

Noted environmentalist Sunderlal Bahuguna is of the view that ropeways should be built in hilly areas instead of roads, which are constructed after blasting the surface, endangering the fragile eco system.

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Bahuguna, who is a pioneer of the Chipko (saving trees) movement and has spent his life opposing big dams as the Tehri, also said increasing human activity in the pristine areas was a dominant factor in causing calamities such as the present one.

Bahuguna believes building dams and barrages should be avoided for two reasons: they impede the flow of rivers and also because the hills of Uttarakhand are weak.

Natural dams should be built by planting more trees except pine, whose canopy and root cover are small. The hills should be covered with broad-leaved species, he feels.