Resource detail

The government will soon start developmental projects in the 100 km long Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone (BESZ) in the upper reaches of Uttarakhand after getting approval from the concerned departments, road transport minister Mr Nitin Gadkari said, a move, activists say, can harm the most pristine section of the national river. The UPA government in 2012 had notified the stretch as no development or ESZ and asked the state government to constitute a monitoring committee to ensue that certain activities allowed in the notification can be conducted without disturbing the local environment. Five years down the line, the committee has not been constituted and therefore, no development projects have been allowed. As per the notification, the formation of the committee is must to review the developmental project proposals coming up in the zone.