Activists in Dehradun to move SC to prevent tree felling

DEHRADUN: Green activists in Dehradun are disappointed with the high court nod to the widening of the Sahastradhara Road, which would involve the felling of 2,057 trees, and have claimed that transplantation is successful only 50% of the time and carrying out the process on a large scale reduces the chances of survival even further.
The 14-km-long Jogiwala-Pacific Golf Estate Road is proposed to be broadened from 7.5 metre to 20 metre and is said to make access to Mussoorie faster for tourists coming from Delhi.The high court, while hearing a petition against the tree-felling, had a few days ago, ordered the state government to transplant at least 972 of the total trees that are to be chopped, while a majority of the eucalyptus trees were ordered to be felled. Green activists, however, are not happy with the decision. “Here, we are talking about transplantation of a very large number of trees.
The chances of survival further go down,” said Nilesh Rathi, a city-based activist. Experts said that for proper transplantation, first the terrain and soil have to be matched. Then the trees are planted at a nursery-like place while the new site is prepared (with fertilizers) following which they are finally moved there. However, for transportation, the trees are often chopped down which reduces their natural life cycle.
Experts have also raised concerns about whether or not the civic agency will be able to carry out such a massive transplantation drive successfully as they have limited resources. The court order does not specify where or by when the trees would have to be replanted. Sources in the PWD also said that they will get the HC order reviewed as the agency is currently incapable of performing the task successfully.