Uttarakhand asks Centre to reconsider some provisions of Bhagirathi eco-sensitive zone

NEW DELHI: The new BJP government in Uttarakhand has requested the Centre to reconsider some provisions of the gazette notification declaring an eco-sensitive zone comprising parts of Uttarkashi district, echoing concerns raised by the previous governments in the state.

The Uttarakhand assembly had in March 2011 passed a resolution against the Centre’s proposed move at the time. On December 18, 2012, the Union forest ministry issued a gazette notification declaring the watershed area along the stretch of river Bhagirathi, covering 4,979.59 sq km from Gaumukh to Uttarkashi, an ecosensitive zone or ESZ.

The then Congress government in the state, headed by Vijay Bahuguna, declared that it would oppose the notification, although the Congress-led UPA was ruling at the Centre at the time. Bahuguna’s successor, Harish Rawat, adopted almost the same line.


In Bhagirathi ESZ, forest and protected areas constitute about 98% of the area and villages occupy 1.6 per cent of the total land. This area, which is close to international border, also faces migration problems in the villages.

Uttarakhand’s grievances include the extent of area declared “eco-sensitive”, restriction on change of land use, fate of hydroelectric projects approved prior to the notification and degree of hill slope categorised as “steep”.

ET View: Devise a plan to protect the zone
The 100km stretch of the Bhagirathi was designated as an eco-sensitive zone to protect the fragile eco-system from the increased human activity. Now, the Uttarakhand government needs to work with experts to devise a plan that addresses considerations of the ecological imperatives and economic growth for the state.