By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 1 Sep: The government has firmly upheld the 6.5-metre building height restriction in Badrinath. This is in reaction to the appeals issued by the hotel owners seeking to raise the height of the buildings in Badrinath to 15 metres. Official sources have claimed that the government has turned down the persistent appeals made by the local hotel owners in this respect.
Sources added that the decision, which comes in the wake of continuing protests and demands from the hospitality sector, reflects the administration’s priority for safety and disaster prevention in the Himalayan region where natural calamities are recurrent.
It may also be reminded here that even the Master Plan for Badrinath, under which the Badrinath town is undergoing redevelopment recommends a maximum height of the buildings there to be 6.5 metres and that the government has acted in accordance with the ongoing master plan in rejecting the demand of the hotel owners. The officials claim that Chief Minister has made it clear that the redevelopment master plan will be adhered to in redevelopment of Uttarakhand. The officials also point out that redevelopment work is strictly being monitored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and that there is little scope to bypass the master plan. The authorities have made it clear that the present norms will not be relaxed or amended to allow for taller buildings anywhere within the designated Char Dham zone.
It may be recalled that, for over a month, local residents have been actively protesting elements of the town’s redevelopment strategy as outlined in the Badrinath Dham Master Plan.
Responding to these ongoing concerns, Principal Secretary and Secretary, Housing and Urban Development, R Meenakshi Sundaram reportedly reviewed the proposed master plan and conducted extensive discussions with key stakeholders and the aggrieved locals. While several genuine demands raised by the community have been addressed directly and resolved on the spot, the issue of increasing building height standards has remained non-negotiable. The Housing Secretary confirmed that the appeals from local hotel owners and residents to raise the limit from 6.5 metres to 15 metres have been thoroughly examined, but the government has categorically refused to allow any relaxation, owing to the pronounced risks posed by the unpredictable mountain environment.
Explicitly citing the perilous nature of the region, situated at an elevation of 10,279 feet, the Housing Secretary stated that granting permission for taller buildings in Badrinath would be entirely inappropriate amidst mounting concerns over landslides, heavy snowfall, and earthquakes that frequently impact the Himalayas.
It may be reminded here that even the popular hill stations such as Mussoorie and Nainital, which stand at lower elevations, do not permit such high-rise constructions, with their building height limits capped at 11 metres and 7.5 metres, respectively. After the catastrophic Kedarnath disaster in 2013, the government was also forced to undertake a series of precautionary measures, including reducing the maximum permitted building height in Char Dhams from 8.5 metres to 6.5 metres, a regulation that remains in effect to this day. The current demand from the Badrinath hotel owners to more than double the permitted height has been rejected also in view of the fact that serious warnings have been issued in this respect by independent as well as government geologists who advocate minimal use of concrete at such height.
It is learnt that even Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan has expressed strong reservations against raising the height of the buildings in the town.
With the ongoing monsoon fury, already resulting in vast devastation in the hills, there is a paramount need to ensure safety of pilgrims, the local residents, and visitors. It may also be reminded that the present height rule of 6.5 metres applies to the 85-hectare Char Dham zone and, while separate standards exist outside this perimeter, the demand for a relaxation of norms within the zone has been unequivocally denied. With Badrinath’s redevelopment proceeding under strict supervision and compliance with all relevant safety laws, the authorities have little scope to permit relaxation or violation.
