National Green Tribunal approves conditional work on Girivalam path

[The below posting gives information about the current situation of the widening of the Arunachala Girivalam Pathway. The information is abridged from postings in The Indian Express and The Hindu]. 

As the 2016 Karthigai Deepam Festival begins at the end of this month, the National Green Tribunal on Tuesday November 8, 2016 passed an interim order permitting ‘conditional’ works to be conducted by the Highway Department which do not involve the further cutting of any trees. 

The National Green Tribunal Bench has partly accepted the report of the two-member Committee but its recommendations in connection with tree felling and road widening have been set aside. 

The Bench has banned asphalting of the right side of the girivalam road on stretch 1, which faces the sacred hill, but has allowed widening on the left side, which faces the town. The interim order states, “Install a pavement and demarcate it exclusively for pedestrians. The left side can be widened, subject to the condition that local residents are given space to walk around.” 

The Highway Department has been permitted to continue road improvement works on stretch 5 as per the original proposal since the area is already fully urbanised. The other three stretches — 2, 3 and 4 — are ecologically sensitive areas on which the Highway Department officials had previously proposed cutting 65 trees. 

The Committee told the Tribunal, having been informed about the presence of certain endangered species along the road, that further scrutiny is required to find alternatives to widening the road. 

The National Green Tribunal Bench has allowed the Highway Department to carry out a few urgent works on stretches 2 and 3. This includes that the cement foundation laid in the drainage channel which was excavated on the right side of stretch 2 be removed and filled to safeguard trees and pilgrims. 

On stretch 3, the compound wall of Manikavasagar Temple, which was encroaching the road, has been ordered to be removed. Based upon the Committee’s recommendations, the Temple authorities have agreed to this proposal. 

National Green Tribunal Recommendations: 

Encroachments to be removed:  The removal of encroachments along all stretches of the Girivalam Roadway. However, permission should be given to vendors during the festive season as long as it does not affect the movement of pedestrians 

Lighting:  LED lights to be placed at intervals on the whole of the 14 km Girivalam Roadway. 

Protection of water bodies: The interim order says that no water body should be affected under the guise of development or anything else. No culverts should be damaged by anyone, including the District Administration 

Religious Structures to be preserved: Temples and other religious structures along the Girivalam path should be protected. All mechanisms to safeguard them should be provided 

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Importance of retaining Arunachala’s traditional water system 

Mr. V.R. Visweswaran, a water resource expert, recently visited Tiruvannamalai to assess the kind of impact the Girivalam path widening project may have on local water systems. He explained Arunachala has a structural feature of fissures and joints in archean rock formation that allows natural recharge and flow of rain water. 

Water flowing from Hill on rainy season

The rain water flows into streams on all sides of the pyramidal slopes of the Hill and thereupon fills innumerable tanks, ponds and theerthams around the hill. The water ultimately reaches irrigation tanks in the plains and benefits farmers while recharging the water table en route. 

The rulers of the past who had great knowledge of the Hill’s hydraulic structure, provided storage for the waters flowing from it. Mr. Visweswaran counselled that the hydraulic structures and courses of flow should not be disturbed or altered and that altering the water course would affect the recharge of ground water and water available for irrigation. He said,“Tiruvannamalai is a region that survives with low rainfall and every drop of water is important here. Hence preserving water via harvesting structures constructed brilliantly centuries ago is important.” 

Ayyankulam Tank in centre of Tiruvannamalai

Any road project should be executed after studying the hydraulic structure of the area and water flows. Utmost care should be taken not to divert or destroy water courses. Raising road levels indiscriminately would affect water flows. When asked about the plans of the Highway Department to dig new drainage, he said “any new channel, drainage and diversion of original courses without a scientific approach will result in water flowing into wrong areas which have no fissures for water to percolate.” 

Widening Arunachala Girivalam Path: July 29, 2016

The below is an abridged version of a article that appears today in a National Newspaper about the decision which has now been taken regarding the widening of the Arunachala Girivalam Path. To read the unabridged version, go to this link here. 

 

Girivalam roadway Outside Rajarajeshwari Temple 2009

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The widening of the Girivalam at Arunachala, which has been mired in controversy over the felling of trees, is is to be reviewed by an expert panel, headed by a retired IFS officer. 

Though locals and activists pressed for cancelling the work that would entail cutting 125 full-grown trees, the southern bench of National Green Tribunal declined, while assuring them to protect the green cover in the hills. 

After considering the concerns expressed by local villagers during the hearing of a petition filed by S Krishna Kumar, the bench comprising judicial member P Jyothimani and expert member PS Rao observed that the government was correct on widening the Girivalam path. 

“Yes, so far no untoward incident was reported. But, we can’t wait for a stampede to happen, which we see often in shrines in North India. Considering the massive crowds witnessed especially during every full moon night and during ‘Karthigai Deepam Mahotsavam’, there is a need to widen the pathway. The project can’t be stalled,” justice Jyothimani said categorically. 

However, the expert committee, yet to be appointed, would conduct a case by case study of these 125 trees so as to ensure that not a single tree is cut unnecessarily. “No tree will be allowed to be felled in the Sonagiri forest area, which is an ecologically sensitive belt in the entire 14-km stretch,” the bench assured. 

According to the report submitted by Tiruvanamalai District Collector earlier, lakhs of pilgrims undertake circumambulation around the 14-km path of the famed Arunachaleswarar temple. The existing path was inadequate to accommodate the sea of devotees, making the widening of the path necessary. This would also facilitate movement of emergency vehicles. 

The tribunal on Thursday (July 28, 2016) said Girivalam should have a dedicated lane for emergency vehicles like ambulances especially during peak season. The expert panel will be appointed during the next hearing on August 17. 

Meanwhile, the Highways Department, executing the project, sought modification in the interim stay passed by the National Green Tribunal. The Highways Department have been assured that no tree would be felled in the Sonagiri forest area, which forms 5.2 km out of total 14 km. Further they have requested that: 

“Let the tribunal decide related to works in Sonagiri forest area, but we request the activists and the Court not to stall the work in the remaining 9 km. The stay order has hampered work in the entire 14 km, which is leading to unnecessary cost escalations,” he said. 

The proposed expansion is divided into five works. Pondy-Krishnagiri Road, Sonagiri forest area, Hill round road, Kanji road and Anna arch road. The majority of widening has been already carried out except in the Sonagiri forest area. 

Local activists have promised that a separate census with the help of locals will occur on the number of trees felled and submit it before the Tribunal at the next hearing. They remarked: 

“Every tree is part of a 600-year-old heritage attached to the sacred hill. Many are several hundred years old. To our estimate, 50 trees are already cut. The footpath that the contractors are laying is unscientific covering the root area, harming growth of the trees. If you cut a 300-year-old banyan tree that can shelter 50 pilgrims and compensate with 10 saplings, what purpose will it serve?” 

Trees Destroyed at Dusk on Girivalam Roadway

The below article dated July, 11 is from a National newspaper about the ongoing controversy concerning the deforestation of trees along the Arunachala Girivalam Pathway. 

The article reads:

“Despite by the stay order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against felling of trees along the Girivalam for the road widening project, the young trees, sacred grooves saplings and branches of-grown trees have been continuously facing the axe. 

On Saturday night, two well-grown trees Forest Flame and Villam adjacent to Chandra Lingam were uprooted using an earthmover by the contractors on the Girivalam path. The uprooted trees were found dumped in Sriharam Lake. 

Advocate and petitioner in the case P K Dhananjeyan said that he spotted the contractors uprooting the young trees and clearing the shrubs on the stretch at about 8 pm on Saturday. 

He intervened and questioned the contractor for carrying the works despite the NGT order and District Collector's order. In the meantime, the environmental activists also reached the spot. Sensing the situation, the contractor and workers winded up the work. 

'Though the workers tried to cover up the illegal felling of the trees, we searched and found the uprooted trees dumped in Sriharam Lake near the Girivalam path today (Sunday) morning," said Dhananjeyan. 

The Collector, after conducting an inspection along the path on last Monday, said that the work along the Girivalam path should be stopped. Contradictory to the Collector's statement, the work has been still going on. 

Calling the act of the contractors as a total disregard for the NGT order, activist Kumar Ambayeram of Tiruvannamalai said that the State Highways have been destroying the ancient and native forest in the name of the development project. "Several hundreds of the trees, sacred grove and shrubs were destroyed under the disguise of clearing the bushes by the officials. They are continuing the work and causing irreparable damage to the ancient forest,' he said. 

The drainage laying work is still in progress. The contractors have been digging up the pit to a depth of five to six feet and pouring the concrete mixture. In the process, they have knocked down several young trees and caused severe damage to the roots of the trees.”