Concerned citizen & groups urge CM for tree protection guarantee amid road expansion plans
PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Various public groups and concerned residents have written to chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, urging him to provide a written guarantee that tree roots will not be damaged during construction work on New Cantt Road in Dehradun. This letter was prompted by recent reports indicating that 17 trees would be cut down for road expansion in the area. Concerned citizens and groups also held a protest march against the planned move on March 1. Following this march, officials from the Public Works Department assured that no trees would be removed during the expansion.
In their letter, citizens referenced a peaceful protest held on June 23, 2024, in which approximately 5,000 participants rallied against the proposed felling of around 250 trees for the project. This protest took place during a heat wave, with temperatures soaring to 43 degrees Celsius. In response to public outrage, the CM reportedly assured the public that not a single tree would be cut and issued a government order to this effect. Citizens welcomed the assurance but subsequent incidents have raised doubts about whether this commitment is being upheld.
The signatories to the letter said that an RTI response from the PWD on November 24, 2025, stated that 30 trees would be felled for the four-laning of the road from Dilaram Chowk to the CM residence. By February 2026, citizens learned that at least 17 trees would be cut down immediately, with many more to be potentially affected after land acquisition. Following the recent statement issued by the PWD stating that trees would not be cut along this stretch of New Cantt Road, residents remain apprehensive because excavation and road-widening work has exposed the roots of many trees, which could weaken them and increase the risk of premature decay or collapse. Therefore, the signatories have demanded a written guarantee that tree roots will not be damaged during construction and urged the CM to firmly uphold his past assurances to ensure that not a single tree is cut.
They have also expressed deep concern about Uttarakhand’s green identity being steadily eroded by road-widening projects, expansion of linear infrastructure, mining activities and haphazard urban development. Efforts for comprehensive plantation and tree transplantation have not compensated for the ecological value of mature trees. They called for a transparent and scientifically informed planning framework that addresses development needs while protecting Uttarakhand’s ecological balance. The letter has garnered support from several prominent citizens and organizations, including Ravi Chopra of Uttarakhand Insaniyat Manch, Kamala Pant of Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, members of Citizens For Green Doon and the Dehradun Citizens Forum, among others.
