SHIMLA/CHOPAL, JULY 17:
Villagers from Chhamdhar, Thana and surrounding areas are up in arms over extensive hill cutting and uprooting of green meadow and vegetation around the sacred Garhala Hill, demanding immediate greening of the denuded slopes.
They also demand scientific slope stabilisation and declaration of the revered hill as an Eco-Sensitive Devbhoomi to prevent further ecological degradation and commercial exploitation.
They had lodged the complaint with the SDM Chopal seeking immediate attention as they faced water soil flooding to their homes and orchards last year. But no visible progress has been made at the site so far addressing the issue.
The residents allege that large-scale cutting of the fragile hill slopes for parking and other infrastructure around the recently revamped Garhala Temple has disturbed the natural drainage system, leaving villages below exposed to floods, landslides and soil erosion during the monsoon.
They warned that rainwater, which earlier was absorbed in thick coat of grass and partly used to flow through the forest's natural channels, is now being diverted towards the southern slopes overlooking Chhamdhar village, posing a serious threat to homes, orchards and agricultural land.
The villagers have demanded immediate plantation of native tree species, restoration of the natural drainage network and scientific treatment of the exposed slopes before the damage becomes irreversible.
They have also questioned whether all mandatory clearances under the Forest (Conservation) Act were obtained for the ongoing works. They alleged that while a stadium is under construction, no forest clearance for the project has been made public and sought complete transparency from the Forest Department.
Documents accessed by HimBuMail show that in March 2024, the Divisional Forest Officer, Chopal, approved diversion of 0.8362 hectares of forest land for construction of a road connecting the horticulture orchard to the Garhala helipad.
The approval specifically states that no tree felling would be involved in the proposed construction and restricts the use of the diverted forest land strictly to the approved purpose.
Villagers, however, said the extent of hill cutting visible today raises serious questions over compliance with forest and environmental conditions and have demanded that the Forest Department clarify whether all ongoing works, including parking facilities and the under-construction stadium, have the required statutory approvals.
The residents urged the Divisional Forest Officer, Chopal, to immediately undertake a massive plantation drive with native species, stabilise the vulnerable slopes through bio-engineering measures and restore the natural drainage so that rainwater is channelled towards the northern face of Garhala Hill instead of flowing towards inhabited areas.
The villagers further appealed to the government to preserve the sanctity of Garhala Hill, revered as the abode of Shilgur Devta, whose historic temple was recently revamped.
They said the sacred hill is the spiritual heritage of the people of Chopal, Thana, Manjhoutli, Shilli and Bodhna Mandal Biradari and should be declared out of bounds for all commercial activities.
According to them, only pilgrimage, educational excursions, nature education and low-impact eco-tourism should be permitted.
They asserted that preserving Garhala's divinity and green ecology is essential not only for protecting the traditions of Devbhoomi but also for safeguarding Chopal hill town and dozens of surrounding villages whose environmental security depends upon the hill's forests, natural drainage and slope stability.
The villagers recalled that orchards below the hill had already suffered due to hill cutting last year and complaints had been submitted to the SDM and the Forest Department.
They now want all pending issues addressed through time-bound remedial measures before another monsoon disaster strikes.
Demanding immediate government intervention, they called for full disclosure of all statutory approvals.
They demand green plantation drive in ongoing monsoon to ensure the long-term safety of the entire Chhamdhar-Thana belt while preserving the sacred character of Garhala Hill.
#SaveGarhala #ProtectDevbhoomi #DeclareGarhalaEcoSensitive #StopEcologicalDamage
