PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Environmentalists and citizens who had forced the State government to temporarily halt tree felling at Saat Modh under the Rishikesh- Bhaniyawala road widening project have demanded that the government should order permanent halt on felling of the trees for the project. Addressing a press conference here on Friday, they said the suspension should be converted into a permanent cancellation to protect the forest and wildlife in the area.
In support of this, they also announced, the programme to save Saat Modh area is being led by youth groups who laid out a month-long programme of protests and awareness activities. On August 15, a patriotic and awareness programme will be held at Saat Modh, followed by a bike rally through the area. On Raksha Bandhan, August 29, residents plan to tie rakhis to trees in the forest as a pledge to protect them. A community dialogue on “Doon Ghati: Vikas ya Vinash” is scheduled for September 5, and on Himalaya Day, September 9, an event titled “Ye Kaisa Himalaya Diwas” will question the government’s development policies. Protesters said they will also hold weekly demonstrations and awareness campaigns every Sunday at Saat Modh.
Environmentalist Himanshu Arora questioned the current development model and its impact on wildlife. “We are continuously destroying the natural habitat of wildlife. Expanding the Rishikesh- Bhaniyawala road to four or six lanes and also widening the Thano road is like enclosing elephants in a concrete trap. If we take away their habitat and walking paths, where will the animals go? They will be forced into human settlements, and human-wildlife conflict will escalate to dangerous levels,” he said.
Citing RTI data, social activist Anoop Nautiyal said 47 per cent of all deforestation in Uttarakhand in the last 25 years since statehood has taken place in Dehradun district alone. “If trees and forests have been cut down on this scale in just 25 years, the remaining forests will also be cleared in the coming years. Dehradun will be reduced to a concrete jungle,” he said, calling the model “environmental destruction.”
