Uttarakhand government pauses felling of 3,000 highway trees after protests
Big news from Uttarakhand: the government has paused plans to cut down 3,000 trees for a major highway after strong public protests.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the exercise would remain suspended until "an atmosphere of trust and a satisfactory consensus among all parties is established."
Protesters brought back the Chipko Movement (literally hugging trees) to protect the Shivalik landscape and Rajaji National Park's elephant corridor.
₹743cr project raises environmental concerns
The ₹743 crore project sparked concerns about deforestation and landslides, especially since landslide cases in Uttarakhand shot up by 2,900% between 2015 and 2020.
Experts suggested alternatives like elevated roads or moving trees, but tree relocation has poor success rates in parts of India.
Some environmentalists are pointing to Bhutan's eco-tourism approach as a better way to balance progress with nature.
Critics warn that unchecked development could seriously harm local ecosystems and biodiversity.