PNS | DEHRADUN
Local activists and concerned citizens of Dehradun held a march on Sunday to exhibit their protest against the large-scale felling of trees in the name of development. According to the event organisers, protestors from 33 organisations gathered near Dilaram Chowk at 7:30 AM and marched towards Centrio Mall, raising slogans related to environmental conservation.
They stated that public movements had successfully prevented tree cutting on Khalanga, Canal Road and Cantt Road in the past, bringing relief to residents. They claimed that now new road construction projects in Mussoorie, Rishikesh and Jhajhra now reportedly propose the felling of nearly 30,000 trees. Protesters expressed concern over sacrificing trees to reduce travel time by a few minutes.They said thatthousands of trees have already been cut along Sahastradhara Road and those planted by the Forest department among rocks are reportedly deteriorating.
Activists mentioned past instances, such as the Rispana project, where one lakh trees were planted, but none survived. They claimed that less than five per cent of the trees planted in various afforestation efforts remain alive. Environmentalists also alleged widespread corruption in the use of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) funds, stating that Rs10 crore was spent on laptops and mobile phones instead of conservation efforts.
The activist Anoop Nautiyal also pointed out the significant transfer of forest land in Uttarakhand over the past 15 years, raising concerns about the future of the region’s green cover.
