Plan to chop 4,000 timber for Bhaniyawala-Rishikesh street on maintain, took ‘severe word of considerations’: CM Dhami | India Information
4 min learnDehradunUp to date: Jul 19, 2026 12:26 PM IST
Following protests and an FIR towards dozens, the Uttarakhand authorities has suspended felling of timber for the Bhaniyawala-Rishikesh street in Dehradun.
The Nationwide Highways Authority of India mission proposes to widen the 19-km stretch close to the airport and had earmarked 4,369 timber for felling.
The Chief Minister stated that he has directed the Chief Secretary and officers to carry detailed consultations with all stakeholders, residents, public representatives, and specialists earlier than the resumption of tree-felling.
The NHAI had claimed that it deposited greater than Rs 1.97 crore in direction of compensatory afforestation and its upkeep for the following ten years. And to facilitate compensatory afforestation, 40 hectares of non-forest land have been transferred by the State Authorities to the Forest Division for the event of latest forests.
Protests
Nevertheless, the episode has prompted anger among the many locals because the street passes via the Shivalik elephant reserve. Folks tried to disrupt the felling by mobilising within the space. On July 12, an FIR was registered towards unknown people for allegedly “utilizing prison pressure to discourage public servants from discharging their responsibility” and customary intention.
Because the momentum towards the road-widening mission elevated, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday introduced that the tree felling can be suspended until a consensus is reached with all of the stakeholders. “Over the previous few days, I’ve taken severe word of the considerations and ideas expressed by quite a few residents, environmentalists, and residents relating to the Dehradun–Rishikesh 4/Six-Lane Mission.
This mission is a vital infrastructure initiative of the Nationwide Highways Authority of India (NHAI). Work on the mission was being carried out in compliance with the instructions of the Hon’ble Excessive Courtroom and after following all required statutory and environmental approvals and procedures,” he stated. Holding wildlife conservation in thoughts, the mission additionally offers for a 3.5-kilometre-long elephant underpass and particular culverts for the motion of smaller wildlife, he claimed.
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“Improvement is crucial for us, however no determination can be taken by ignoring public sentiment, the setting, or native pursuits. With this goal, I’ve directed the Chief Secretary and the officers to as soon as once more maintain detailed consultations with all stakeholders, residents, public representatives, and specialists,” he stated, including that till a passable consensus is reached amongst all stakeholders, the felling of timber underneath this mission will stay suspended.
What NHAI says
The NHAI has said that the mission contains the development of an elephant underpass and 4 devoted elephant underpasses, collectively forming an elevated construction of roughly 3.5 kilometres, to make sure the secure motion of elephants and different massive wildlife.
“As well as, six field culverts measuring 5×3 metres are being constructed for species akin to tigers, leopards, jackals, jungle cats, porcupines, wild boars, sambar, and noticed deer. 13 pipe culverts with a diameter of 1,200 mm are additionally being developed for reptiles, amphibians, and different small wildlife. To additional improve wildlife security, the mission contains inexperienced information hedges, sound limitations, anti-glare screens, wildlife warning signage, speed-calming measures, and designated no-horn zones. These measures are meant to scale back human-wildlife battle, minimise street accidents, and safeguard pure wildlife habitats and motion corridors,” Saurabh Singh, Mission Director on the NHAI, stated.
A contempt petition filed earlier than the Excessive Courtroom relating to a keep within the tree felling was dismissed.
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Environmentalists say the street widening mission will affect the eighth, ninth and tenth corridors within the Shivalik Elephant reserve and elements of the elephant corridors. In 2020, amid talks of airport enlargement, the Ministry of Surroundings, Forest and Local weather Change (MoEF) had requested the Uttarakhand authorities to think about avoiding delicate areas of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve whereas exploring land appropriate to make use of for the enlargement of Dehradun’s Jolly Grant Airport. The federal government had tried to denotify the Shivalik Elephant reserve, which was stayed by the Excessive Courtroom.
