Char Dham chopper chaos

Jotirmay Thapliyal in Guptkashi

When the Prime Minister and the President flew to Kedarnath early this month to count as first ones to offer prayers at the famed Shiva temple, two signals emerged on the horizon; a) choppers can, after all, ferry pilgrims to and fro in the final 16km, 20-minute Guptkashi-Kedarnath lap; and b) environmentalists, concerned about the high-decibel impact of the choppers on the fragile ecology of the area, will have to fall in line. Today, as many as 11 chopper operating companies — cleared by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) —work from dawn to dusk serving a surging crowd of pilgrims. Drowned out in the entire process are the aspects linked to the faith-versus-ecology debate.

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on April 25 had sought response from various government wings, including the Environment Ministry, to its 2015 order on framing an aviation policy for the eco-fragile zone. The NGT newest directive was prompted by a plea of environmentalist Kavita Ashok, who sought execution of the green tribunal’s order. On May 10, a 7-member DGCA team shortlisted, with conditions, 11 companies to fly choppers for the pilgrims. 

A few residents in Guptkashi have leased their land on a monthly rent of about 

Rs 40,000 to helicopter companies to build helipads. Each company flies three shuttles in an hour. One of the DGCA conditions — recommended by the Wildlife Institute of India — is that a helicopter will have to maintain a minimum height of 600 metres while flying over the Kedarnath wildlife sanctuary. “We have a special devise fitted in the chopper that warns us against going below 600 metres. This device is inspected by a DGCA team. This and other rules about safety aspects and equipment are very strict,” says Madan Mohan, manager of Indo Copters Pvt Ltd, the company that flew the first chopper from Marayan Kotli in Guptkashi on May 10. 

The wildlife preserve is known for thick forests with trees like oak, chir, pine, birch, alpine, besides rhododendron meadows and numerous flowering plants of Himalayas. The area is also home for rare species such as musk deer and Himalayan tahr (a type of wild goat). Animal science specialist working in the Kedarnath region Dr Neelkant says animals are bound to develop fear following such high-decibel noises caused by choppers. “This can lead to psychological disorders among animals.” 

Pilgrims’ choice

For many faithfuls, the Char Dham route infrastructure development is the top priority. Krishnaswamy (86) from Bangalore finds helicopter service at Kedar valley very convenient. “At my age, it is extremely difficult to trek to the shrine. Even mule riding is not easy for me,” says Krishnaswamy.  For Delhi pilgrim Rajeev, it’s his seventh yatra. H says a lot has changed along yatra routes all these years. “Lots of constructions have come up, and apparently, all of them don’t conform to environment rules and guidelines”.

However, many pilgrims love to trek right up to the main shrine. A batch of pilgrims from Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh plans a 10-day trek to Badrinath, all the way from Rishikesh, the starting point of Char Dham yatra. Leading them, Nand Ram says they travel around 60km a day before taking rest alongside the highway where they cook their food. “The true yatra is on foot. It is a matter of faith for us,” says Khem Chand, a member of the group.

The pilgrims have to watch out for the ‘sinking’ Semi village along Rudraprayag-Guptakshi stretch. The village has been caving in for several years due to erosion caused by a river across which a hydro-power project has come up. Many houses in the village have collapsed. The PWD has put up a board, warning motorists about the dangerous stretch. 

Infrastructure challenge

Many ambitious projects in Uttarakhand such as the construction of Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s all-weather roads project on Char Dham Yatra routes are in the offing. These would be path-breaking achievements when accomplished. But theses involve large-scale felling of trees and blasting of rocks, both leading to damage to the environment.

Former Director of Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology Dr BR Arora says slope carving, either to widen roads or any other activity, is bound to disturb hills’ stability. “These manmade slopes can cause sudden landslides during rains,” he says, suggesting more scientific methods than the usual blasting to create more space.

Dr VP Dimri, former head of National Geological Research Institute, says Rudraprayag and Chamoli districts are prone to earthquakes and incessant rains, causing landslides. “These factors must always be kept in mind while undertaking any infrastructure development,” says Dr Dimri.