Even as all-round development across the country’s hills, including the Chardham Road, progresses rapidly, information obtained through the RTI Act route shows there is no designated hill development regulatory authority. Environmentalist B N Kumar raised a query with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change of India (MOEFCC) for information on the hill regulatory authority in view of the Silkyara and Chamoli disasters.

An official from the Ministry responded, stating no such information is available. Kumar, also the director of the environment-focused not-for-profit platform NatConnect Foundation, highlighted, “No information regarding any regulation titled ‘Hill Areas Development Regulations’ or any authority named ‘Hill Areas Development Regulation Authority’ is available with this CPIO,” said the email response from Dr Susan George K, Scientist ‘E’ from the Mountain Division of the MOEFCC.