The Center on Thursday told the Supreme Court that if the Army cannot take its missile launchers and heavy machinery to the India-China border, how will it defend the country by fighting the enemy in case of war. Trying to allay the concerns of landslides in the Himalayan regions due to the construction of the Chardham Highway Project, the government said that all necessary steps have been taken to mitigate the disaster. The government said landslides have occurred in different parts of the country. Road construction alone is not the reason for this.
A division bench of Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Vikram Nath reserved its order on the Defense Ministry’s plea to modify its earlier order and petition of Citizens for Green Doon, an NGO against road widening. The bench asked the parties concerned to make written submissions on the steps taken and steps to be taken to reduce landslides in the area.
Attorney General KK Venugopal, appearing for the Centre, said these are difficult terrains where the army needs to move heavy vehicles, machinery, weapons, missiles, tanks, troops and food supplies. Our BrahMos missile is 42 feet long and requires larger vehicles to carry its launcher. If the army cannot take its missile launchers and machinery to the border of China, then how will the war be fought.
He said, ‘God forbid if war breaks out, how will the army deal with it if it does not have weapons. We have to be careful and alert. We have to be ready. Our Defense Minister while participating in the Indian Road Congress said that the Army needs disaster resistant roads. Venugopal said that suitable studies including geological survey, morphology and human activities have been done in sensitive areas and steps like slope stabilization, afforestation, scientific sewage disposal have been taken. There is a need to make our roads disaster resistant, he said. Special security measures have been put in place in sensitive areas where landslides occur frequently and roads are blocked by snowfall.
The Indian Roads Congress (IRC) top law officer said that it has recommended an additional width of 1.5 meters in snowy areas so that vehicles can ply in those areas even in snowfall. He said that we also have to repair our roads to deal with the kind of preparations and construction done across the border.
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He said the High Powered Committee (HPC) monitoring the Chardham project did not take into account the concerns of the Army in its report. The HPC report is far from the requirements of the army. He said that today there is a situation where there is a need to protect the country and there is a need to mobilize all available resources and forces to protect the country.
“We need to ensure that all necessary resources are provided to the army. We can’t stand that our roads are 5.5 meters wide so our BrahMos launchers can’t go up the mountain. He said that there is a need to facilitate the transportation of giant Tetra trucks, tanks and Smerch multiple rocket launchers to the mountains. Venugopal said that whether there is a landslide or snowfall, the army will have to show bravery to reach the Chinese border through mountain passes.
Notably, on Wednesday, the top court had asked the Center and NGOs to suggest additional safeguards that could be implemented on the implementing agencies in case the Chardham project is cleared. The court was hearing the Centre’s plea seeking modification of its September 8, 2020 order, asking the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to adhere to 5.5 meters of carriageway width prescribed in the 2018 circular on the ambitious Chardham highway project. had gone. In its application, the Defense Ministry has said that it wants to amend the orders and instructions so that national highways from Rishikesh to Mana, from Rishikesh to Gangotri and from Tanakpur to Pithoragarh can be developed into two-lane.
