IF NOT NOW THEN NEVER. HUNDREDS OF DEHRADUN CITIZENS UNITE TO PROTEST AGAINST 244 TREES CUT DURING THE ROAD WIDENING IN DEHRADUN

SUNIL NEGI

The surging temperatures in Uttarakhand hills especially in the state capital and even at hill stations like Mussourie, Lansdowne , Nainital and Pauri etc not ever experienced before during the last several decades have compelled people to finally tighten their belts to come forward to raise their voice in unison for increasing greenery and going for massive tree plantation as it has been visualised that massive migration of population from cities and metropolises to Dehradun and hill stations during summers and even majority of them settling here permanently enabling builders to construct skyscrapers , rather concrete jungles has infact led to cities of Uttarakhand boiling during summers making people’s life a real hell. Compounded with massive jungle fires having this summer destroyed more than 15 thousand hectares of forests , its flora and fauna the surging temperatures has further added to the woes of not only the tourists but those living in Uttarakhand Himalayas having never experienced such a scorching heat waves. Sounds highly worrisome that while the state capital of Dehradun has witnessed 42 to 46 degrees Celcius temperatures during this summer the hill stations of Lansdowne and Pauri witnessed up to 38 degrees Celcius not to speak of cities/ towns like Srinagar and Kotdwar maintaining surged temperatures of 43 to 46 or even more temperatures in Celcius degrees. If one looks at the statistics of AQI in Dehradun today it stands at 79 and Delhi at 188 today, not to speak during winters when it goes to 400 in Delhi and in Dehradun merely 40. Primarily this is the reason that has prompted people migrating to Dehradun in large numbers with reputed builders coming in large numbers building multiple skyscrapers , rather concrete jungles with trees being cut massively spoiling our environment and ecology. There are reports of lakhs of trees having been cut during the construction and widening of all weather roads and massive ( 125 kilometres) rail project from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag having more than 75% tunnel’s beneath making the hills hollow from inside , despite the hard fact that Uttarakhand comes under Zone 5, highly prone to tectonic upheavals , earthquakes and ecological catastrophes. Having been deeply concerned by the highly surging temperatures due to global warming and massive construction of buildings at Dehradun n others parts of Uttarakhand with massive deforestation the intellectuals, students, youth and literate lot of Dehradun have come forward under the auspices of Citizens for Green Doon to mobilise the governmental agencies and the common public to come forward to plant as much as trees they can and at least think seriously on the increasing global warming to find a concrete way out to save the humanity and civilization from the incoming massive environmental degradation and people’s lives coming under acute risk. As a sequel to their awakening approach towards green environment hundreds of citizens at the Paryavaran Bachao Walk/Andolan today in #Dehradun marched in unison creating awareness towards environment upgradation. Never before has the city seen a gathering of this nature. People are fed up with the anti-green policies of the govt & system in the city & across #Uttarakhand. Today’s gathering is a silver lining in this grim environment. This huge public awareness campaign was launched today to save 244 trees that were cut during the road widening from Dilaram Chowk to the Chief Minister’s residence in Dehradun city and to save the environment of Doon Valley.

What a day today. Great effort by team Citizens for Green Doon (CFGD), all volunteers and all of us who were there in large numbers. Hope we will continue to build stronger and further on this. Best wishes for us all said Anoop Nautiyal founder SDC Foundation.

Today’s huge public awareness campaign was launched today to save 244 trees that were cut during the road widening from Dilaram Chowk to the Chief Minister’s residence in Dehradun city and to save the environment of Doon Valley.