300 march against proposed tree felling on New Cantt Road

Dehradun: Nearly 300 residents and activists marched along New Cantt Road on Sunday, opposing the proposed felling of trees for a road-widening project. The protest follows reports that the stretch may be converted into a four-lane road. Protesters said that though the current plan involves felling 17 trees, more could be affected after land acquisition.On June 23, 2024, thousands of residents held a similar march against a proposal to cut around 250 trees for the same project. Banners had appeared across the city stating that no trees would be cut, and the chief minister had publicly assured citizens that the plan would be shelved to protect the city's green cover.Himanshu Arora of Citizens for Green Doon said the fresh proposal contradicts that assurance. "Once land acquisition is complete, many more trees may be cut. We need to protect our jal, jungle, jameen and remind the govt of its promise. This is about the future of our children," he said.Participants, including senior citizens and children, criticised what they described as a development model that overlooks ecological concerns. Prakash Nangia, 87, who joined the march on his bicycle, said the city's character was changing.Environmental activist Dr Ravi Chopra said India lost 1.73 lakh hectares of green cover between 2019 and 2024. "During the same period, more than 23,000 trees were felled in Dehradun for infrastructure projects, with another 63,000 projected to be affected for projects including airport expansion and the Jhajhra-Mussoorie route. These are official figures, the actual number may be higher," he said. Activists also criticised the govt for taking credit for Uttarakhand being the land of environmental activists Gaura Devi and Sunderlal Bahuguna while allowing tree felling to continue. Social activist Anoop Nautiyal said Uttarakhand has recorded significant forest loss since its formation and urged elected representatives to raise ecological concerns in the upcoming assembly session at Garsain, especially with elections due next year.Protesters said they would continue to monitor the project if the govt does not withdraw it. They alleged that even partial widening and drain work could weaken tree roots, eventually leading to further felling.PWD officials said that after the 2024 protests, the project was revised. The current detailed project report provides for partial widening and seeks to minimise tree damage, with 17 trees currently identified. The 14-month project is expected to be completed by April next year.