In November, the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand drew global attention after a partial collapse of the under-construction Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarkashi district entrapped 41 workers. The gruelling rescue operation to save the men took 17 days as well as international and local technology and expertise. Such partial collapses due to landslides while tunneling in the Himalayan region happen almost regularly and are often ignored. This very tunnel had caved in many times in the past.
The Silkyara-Barkot tunnel is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pet initiative: the Char Dham project that aims to connect four major Hindu pilgrimage sites in the Himalayas—Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri–with all-weather, two-lane highways covering 889 km. The Rs 12,000 crore project has been controversial right from the start, with environmentalists expressing deep concerns over its ecological impact. However, the government won the battle in the Supreme Court in December 2021 after it argued that the project assumed “strategic importance for national security” following China’s enactment of a new law to strengthen its land border protection.
The questions of national security, energy security and water security have frequently featured in India’s arguments for building mega infrastructure in the Himalayas—from Ladakh and Kashmir in the north to Arunachal Pradesh in the northeast. One of the government’s prime arguments for building the country’s biggest dam on the Siang River in Arunachal Pradesh is to counter the dam China is building on the other side of the border.
Bu hikaye Outlook dergisinin December 21, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Giriş Yap
Bu hikaye Outlook dergisinin December 21, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Giriş Yap
Voters' Cold Wave
Heat wave, voter apathy and cyclic migration are blamed for the poor voter turnout in Bihar. Political parties are clueless about what impact will it have on election results
Gashes in the Red Sand
Residents of the tribal district of Gadchiroli resist development models that destroy the environment
When Taps and Hope Run Dry
Peaking water scarcity and pervasive groundwater contamination have increased migration from many districts of Rajasthan.
Pilgrim's Politics
Two-time MP from Varanasi, Narendra Modi, is sculpting the eternal city in his image
Missing in the Margins
The Katkari community in Raigad district has been facing issues like cyclic migration, no rights over forest land, and a dearth of basic facilities. But these concerns don’t find mention in the high-pitched political debates
Raag Darbari in Dharwad
Karnataka’s Hubballi has been the BJP’s ‘gateway to the south’ and remains a hotbed for communal polarisation, as the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad head to Lok Sabha polls on May 7
Coastal Turbulence
Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada-districts in coastal Karnataka, which witnessed increased instances of polarisation in the last few years-have been the BJP's stronghold
A Return to the Ballot?
Separatist politics may not influence the general elections in Kashmir this time
The Stained Floodplains
In the calm foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, there is a storm brewing between the BJP and the TMC. The voters are divided
Minimum Support Life
Politicians visiting Madhya Pradesh are making big promises to the people, but for the Adivasis, it's still about Jal, Jungle, Jameen