Unchecked construction

Himalayan projects need better regulation

Efforts are underway to rescue 40 construction workers trapped when the tunnel they were working on in the high Himalayas collapsed. This section of the government’s Char Dham national highway project is between Brahmakhal and Yamunotri in the Uttarkashi region. While there are good reasons to hope that there will be no loss of life on this occasion and that the workers will come through their ordeal unscathed, the fact remains that this is yet another wake-up call that large infrastructure projects in India’s mountainous regions are being pushed forward for political reasons with minimal technical and environmental appraisal. Such