In Brief
The Supreme Court decided the Chardham highway widening project's fate, involving 900 km of roads through sensitive Himalayan valleys in Uttarakhand. A conflict arose between environmental protection and national security: the court sided with allowing three strategic border roads to be widened to full double-lane configuration despite environmental concerns, finding that defence needs cannot be overridden by courts. However, the court imposed strict conditions: comprehensive implementation of the High Powered Committee's environmental recommendations on hill-cutting, muck disposal, forest protection, wildlife corridors, water management and disaster preparedness. An Oversight Committee was constituted to ensure compliance. The judgment balances development with environmental sustainability through the 'environmental rule of law' doctrine.
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