The villagers of Bundi and Garbiyang in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district have resolved to oppose the construction of a tunnel along the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route, citing the risk of land subsidence.
The ₹1,600-crore tunnel project along Tawaghat and Lipulekh is proposed at an altitude of 2,700 metres to make the way smoother for devotees headed to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar and to give the security forces easier access to the India-China border when National Highway 9 shuts down because of excessive rain or snow.
Vijay Singh, a resident, said the villagers had, in a second meeting on Saturday, made it clear to officers of the Border Road Organisation (BRO) and a private construction company that they would not allow any tunnel to be dug beneath their villages.
Rajesh Singh Nabiyal, president of the Vyas (Valley) Janjati Sangharsh Samiti, said they had requested the government to stick to its original plan of building the tunnel in Khosa village, which is mostly deserted.
“We have weighed all options and concluded that our villages will be in danger if the tunnel is built here. The officials argue that NH9 requires a tunnel for uninterrupted traffic round the year. They also believe that the tunnel is necessary to protect the border areas from China. But we believe we will be in danger if our land is exploited any further. Landslides may increase,” Nabiyal told reporters on Monday.
Referring to the land subsidence in Joshimath in 2023, Singh said rapid exploitation of land had a direct bearing on the residents.
“We all know that the land subsidence in Joshimath happened because of the underground construction work. Hundreds of houses were damaged. The government promised many things to the affected people but they were a mere eyewash,” Singh said.
He said their villages were located on a muddy terrain along the fragile Himalayan range.
“When the officers failed to convince us about the tunnel’s importance in boosting border security, they started claiming that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra would become easier for the pilgrims. Why don’t they tell us clearly that they don’t have any concern for the locals?” Singh asked.
Bhawana Deepak, an officer of the BRO, said: “The villagers have raised objections. We may sit with them again.”