Like Me, Many Dehradun Residents Are on a Mission to Stop Felling of 2,500 Trees

Nearly 2,500 British-era Sal trees are being axed for the expansion of the Delhi-Dehradun expressway.

Locals protesting in Dehradun against the felling of trees.

(Image courtesy: Kamran Akhter/ The Quint)

Producer: Varsha Rani

Video Editor: Deepthi Ramdas

Residents of Dehradun are on a mission to stop the felling of around 2,500 British-era Sal trees for the expansion of the Delhi-Dehradun expressway. The road is being expanded to reduce the travel time to Delhi.

"Our campaign is to save the forest near Asharodi. The Sal forest is a part of a national park. The authorities are saying that this expansion will help decrease the time and the distance to reach Delhi. Just to save some time, you cannot cut down an entire forest. In today’s time, it is impossible to grow so many trees again."

Himanshu Arora, Activist

The destruction of the green cover would also affect the natural habitat of the flora and fauna in the region and would also result in overcrowding due to traffic.

"If you want to build a road, you can do that, but don’t do it at the expense of our environment. This will also affect the animals living in the forest. This will also result in a lot of overcrowding and traffic jams in the city. It’s not just about the trees, but the hills would also be damaged," added Himanshu Arora.

Trees being cut in Dehradun.

Deforestation in the Name of Development Is Not a Solution

Us saving the Asharoadi jungles doesn’t mean we’re ‘anti-development’. We are talking about development.

"Climate change is a real thing and a big reality in today’s time. Everyone is talking about it. But what are we doing? Cutting down trees."

Resident, Dehradun

Citizens of Dehradun stage a protest.

These Sal trees are so important for the water bodies because they soak the water and release it slowly when needed.

We are requesting the government and the authorities to listen to our demands and not cause so much damage to the environment, just to save some travel time.

(All 'My Report' branded stories are submitted by citizen journalists to The Quint. Though The Quint inquires into the claims/allegations from all parties before publishing, the report and the views expressed above are the citizen journalist's own. The Quint neither endorses, nor is responsible for the same.)