Anger Mounts in Pithoragarh as Ex-Servicemen Lead Protest Against Eco Battalion Shift
Pithoragarh/Dehradun:
A simmering protest in Uttarakhand’s border district of Pithoragarh is fast snowballing into a wider public movement as ex-servicemen have opened a sustained front against the Centre’s decision to shift the 130 Eco Task Force Battalion from the region.
The dharna led by the Ex-Servicemen Sangathan entered its 24th day, drawing growing support from local residents, senior citizens, social activists and environmental groups who see the proposed move as a blow both to the fragile Himalayan ecology and to a district known for sending thousands of soldiers to the Indian Army.
“This decision is deeply disturbing,” said Mayukh Batt, President, Ex-Servicemen Sangathan Uttarakhand.
“Shifting the Eco Battalion from Pithoragarh will derail decades of conservation work in these fragile mountains and will also amount to grave injustice to the people of this region who have served the Indian Army with unmatched commitment.”
Protesters say the issue goes far beyond the relocation of a military unit.
According to them, the battalion has played a critical role in ecological restoration and forest protection in the disaster-prone Himalayan terrain.
Centre’s Move to Shift 130 Ecological Task Force from Pithoragarh Raises Concerns Over Environmental cincerns.
The move could disrupt decades of ecological conservation work in the fragile Himalayan region.
According to documents, the 130 ETF Battalion, which has been functioning in the area for nearly three decades, has played a significant role in ecological restoration and environmental protection in the Kumaon Himalayas.
The battalion has been involved in afforestation drives, disaster management, and conservation activities in difficult mountainous terrain.
Over the past 30 years, the battalion has reportedly made notable contributions, including plantation and conservation of lakhs of trees and protection of forest resources over more than 20,000 hectares of degraded land.
Their efforts have helped improve forest cover, protect water sources, and strengthen the ecological balance in the region.
The battalion has also played an important role during natural disasters such as cloudbursts, floods and landslides, providing immediate relief and assisting local administration in rescue operations.
Apart from environmental work, the unit has provided employment and rehabilitation opportunities to ex-servicemen (ESMs), besides supporting several social and environmental awareness campaigns in local communities.
The document states that keeping the battalion stationed in Pithoragarh is the most practical option as the existing camps, training facilities, infrastructure and administrative systems are already in place.
Relocating the unit would require setting up new administrative structures, logistics and communication systems at another location, resulting in additional expenditure.
It further points out that shifting the battalion could disrupt ongoing environmental projects and weaken ecological protection efforts in the Himalayan belt.
Experts argue that the continuation of the 130 ETF in Pithoragarh would ensure uninterrupted conservation work, sustained employment for ex-servicemen and continued protection of the region’s fragile ecosystem.
The document concludes that rather than relocating the unit, the government should consider retaining the battalion in Pithoragarh and creating similar region-specific Ecological Task Force units in other environmentally sensitive areas of the Himalayas to strengthen conservation efforts.
Environmental groups say such a strategy would balance ecological needs with regional socio-economic sensitivities while ensuring sustainable development in the Himalayan states.
Removing it, they argue, would weaken conservation efforts in a sensitive border district already grappling with climate stress and environmental degradation.
What began as a veterans’ protest has now turned into a collective voice of the Entire Uttarakhand.
Social organisations, citizens’ groups and community bodies have begun joining the agitation, reflecting growing public anger.
Support is also pouring in from Dehradun. Retired Brigadier Sarveshwar Dangwal and retired Colonel D. P. Dimri have extended their backing to the agitation.
Environmental groups have also stepped in. The SDC Foundation, led by activist Anoop Nautiyal, along with other civil society voices including Sujata Paul, has urged the Ministry of Defence to withdraw the relocation order.
They have suggested that instead of dismantling the battalion working in the Himalayas, the Centre should consider raising a new Eco Task Force battalion for the Aravalli range.
Protesting veterans have also tagged Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on social media and in representations, urging them to intervene and reverse the decision before the agitation escalates further.
At the protest site, local senior citizens and community organisations such as the Ramleela Committee joined the sit-in in solidarity, underlining the widening public backing for the agitation.
Ex-servicemen also warned elected representatives not to remain silent. They said MPs and MLAs from the region must take a clear stand to protect the interests of the border district.
“If our representatives fail to act and this decision is not revoked, we will take this issue directly to the people,” protesting veterans said, warning that a mass awareness march could be launched ahead of the 2027 elections to hold leaders accountable.
Among those present at the protest were Giridhar Singh Bisht, Subedar Major Bhuvan Garkoti, Nayak Govind Ballabh Pant, Captain Sundar Singh Kharayat, Naib Subedar Devendra Singh Digari, Subedar Surendra Singh Koranga, Sena Medal awardee Naib Subedar Bhagwan Rautela, Subedar Major Trilok Singh, Captain Deepak Bhatt and Subedar Major Govind Singh Bisht, along with dozens of other ex-servicemen.
With emotions running high and the protest expanding beyond veterans to the wider public, the agitation in Pithoragarh is steadily turning into a larger political and environmental flashpoint in Uttarakhand’s sensitive Himalayan belt.
Before things go out of control Dhami should take the matter with Rajnath Singh as it is a matter of great ecological concern as Uttarakhand falls in sensitive earthquake zone V and VI.
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