Unscientific growth risks disaster in Bhagirathi zone: Environment minister

UNion environs government minister Bhupender Yadav has recommended a precautional come on to mitigate ecologic risks in the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone, warning that unscientific development in fragile regions can lead to avoidable disasters, according to an official note from the environment ministry.Yadav made the remarks while chairing a high-level meeting on the eco-sensitive zone in Dehradun on Saturday. The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Centre and the Uttarakhand government, including members of the monitoring committee and top functionaries from the ministry of environment, forest and climate change.“Unscientific development in eco-sensitive areas often results in avoidable disasters,” the minister said, stressing the need for a precautionary and informed approach to development in the region.The discussions focused on the effective implementation of the BESZ notification, with an emphasis on balancing ecological conservation with local development needs. Officials highlighted the importance of preserving the region’s biodiversity while aligning environmental priorities with livelihoods through sustainable planning. Yadav underlined the need for a structured and coordinated framework for conservation in the zone, which includes the origin of the Ganga. He said such efforts must be guided by scientific and evidence-based studies, integrated development planning, clearly defined institutional mechanisms, and robust monitoring and enforcement systems.HT had reported on March 10 that the ministry of road transport and highways (MoRTH) is considering design changes to the Char Dham road stretch in the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone after several environmental activists and veteran politicians Murli Manohar Joshi (of the BJP) and Karan Singh (of the Congress) raised an alarm about its ecological impact.Separately, Yadav also chaired the 90th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife in Dehradun, where proposals related to infrastructure development across sectors such as roads, transmission lines and irrigation were reviewed in light of environmental safeguards. During the meeting, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was also signed between the Forest Survey of India (FSI) and Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) for strengthening the use of geospatial technologies, remote sensing and AI/ML-based tools in forest fire management, wildlife conservation and decision support systems.The Committee also reviewed progress on the decisions taken in the 7th meeting of the National Board for Wildlife and noted the status of key national initiatives relating to species recovery, habitat management and institutional strengthening.The Committee deliberated on the issues of environmental flows in River Chambal for sustaining riverine species such as dolphins, gharials and other aquatic fauna, particularly during lean seasons.The Committee also discussed conservation of grasslands and rangelands, highlighting their importance for biodiversity, carbon sequestration, dryland resilience and pastoral livelihoods, MoEFCC said.Yadav chaired the 45th Meeting of the Central Zoo Authority. It was decided that regular updates be provided regarding transfer of leopards involved in human-leopard negative interactions, to zoos that have reported availability of facility in off-display areas for their long-term care that ensure appropriate housing, upkeep and healthcare.