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New Delhi: The central government on Thursday told the Supreme Court that if the army cannot take its missile launchers, heavy machinery to the northern India-China border and if a war breaks out, how will it fight, protect the border in such a situation. ?
Seeking to address the concerns of landslides in the Himalayan regions due to the construction of the wide Chardham Highway project, the government said that all necessary steps have been taken to mitigate the disaster and that landslides have occurred in various parts of the country and This is not the case especially with road construction.
The strategically important Rs 12,000-crore Chardham project aims to make the four holy cities of Uttarakhand – Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath – all-weather connectivity.
A bench of Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice Surya Kant and Justice Vikram Nath has reserved its decision on the petition of the Ministry of Defense. The ministry has requested for amendment in the earlier order of the court regarding road widening and the petition of an NGO ‘Citizen for Green Doon’.
The court has asked them to file 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 inaccessible areas where the army needs to move heavy vehicles, machinery, weapons, missiles, tanks, soldiers and food supplies.”
The Attorney General said, ‘Our BrahMos missile is 42 feet long and large vehicles are needed to carry its launcher. If the army cannot take its missile launchers and machinery to the border of North China, and if there is a war, how will it fight the war.
He said, ‘God forbid, if a 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 had participated in the Indian Road Congress and said that the Army needs disaster resistant roads.
Venugopal said that necessary studies including geological survey, morphology and human activities have been done in sensitive areas and steps like slope stabilization, afforestation, scientific waste disposal have been taken.
“Landslides can happen anywhere in the country, even where there is no road activity, but necessary steps have been taken for prevention,” he said. There is a need to make our roads disaster resistant. Special security measures have been taken in sensitive areas where landslides occur frequently and heavy snowfall blocks the road.
