PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Concerned citizens of Dehradun will organise Paryavaran Bachao Andolan 3.0 “Kimadi-Dakra in Danger” on June 4 at 5 PM at Vedic Gharat, Dakra Bazaar demanding a stop on tree felling. The protest is being held following reports about the planned felling of around 700 trees from the Dakra area to Hathipaon for the four-laning road project.
Citizens For Green Doon (CFGD) member Himanshu Arora said that various reports and marking of trees shows that the four-laning road project under the Public Works Department from Dakra to Hathipaon, which is about 32-40 km stretch, will see around 700 trees felled. He said that out of the 700 trees, 110 trees are marked for felling in the Dakra area of Dehradun. These include Peepal and Banyan trees, among others around 150 years old.
Arora said that the trees are being sacrificed in the name of development which is not for residents but for tourists. He said that the project is for easy access for tourists to Mussoorie. The carrying capacity of Mussoorie has reached its limit and with such projects will further challenge the carrying capacity.He further informed that they are organising the protest on the eve of World Environment Day to stress that planting trees on June 5 is just a formality when old trees are being axed.
Arora said that if trees are felled like this in the future, not only will the temperature and weather conditions be affected, but tourism will also reduce as people visit Dehradun for greenery, which the authorities are destroying, he added.
