Former Union Ministers Murli Manohar Joshi and Karan Singh, along with over 50 prominent individuals, have approached the Supreme Court to recall and review the 2021 judgment that permitted widening of roads under the Char Dham Pariyojana in Uttarakhand. The petitioners, including historians and environmentalists such as Ramachandra Guha and Shekhar Pathak, argue that the expansion of roads poses serious risks to the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, particularly the Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (BESZ).

The Char Dham Pariyojana is a major infrastructure initiative designed to improve road access to the four sacred shrines—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath. While the Supreme Court in December 2021 allowed roads to be widened up to 12 meters citing strategic and defense requirements, the petitioners contend that this has triggered landslides and destabilized large sections of the terrain. A 2025 scientific study highlighted over 800 landslide-prone zones along the Char Dham route, emphasizing the ecological fragility of the region.

Petitioners also criticized a 2020 circular by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), which mandated wider roads, labeling it “unscientific and irrational.” They advocate for the Intermediate Width (IW) road design recommended earlier, which balances developmental needs with environmental conservation.

The Supreme Court is being urged to reconsider its prior judgment, revert to the 2018 MoRTH circular recommending a maximum width of 5.5 meters in hilly areas, and adopt a disaster-resilient, eco-friendly road design. This appeal underscores the delicate balance between infrastructure development and ecological preservation in sensitive Himalayan zones. The outcome of this review could set a precedent for future projects in environmentally sensitive areas across India.