By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 2 May: Under the aegis of ‘Citizens for Green Doon’, a ‘Save the Environment’ campaign was launched in which members of allied organisations gathered near Khalanga Memorial and protested against the proposed felling of 2200 trees for the widening of Sahastradhara Road.
Members present at the protest emphasised that, due to traffic, the pressure on the urban areas has increased and the growing traffic problems are becoming a daily feature in cities. Members also suggested that this is due to non-widening of road crossings in the city area, the encroachments and the dilapidated condition of the roads. The government needed to take immediate action against these issues. Some members suggested that elevated roads could help in getting rid of traffic jams. Members also said that, under the Riverfront Development Scheme, plantation should be done on the banks of rivers so that soil erosion could be stopped.
Brig Behl (Retd) stated that officials had marked the trees which would be cut down at Sahastradhara Road and suggested that double the number of trees be planted to maintain the equilibrium of the environment. He said that he had written to the PM and CM of the State to adopt the campaign.
Prominent amongst those present were Himanshu Arora of CGD, Sushil Tyagi, Secretary General, SNS, Choudhary Omvir Singh, Arif Khan of NAPSR, Anchal Sharma of the Earth and Climate Initiative, Kamla Pant of Uttarakhand Mahila Manch, Nirmala Bisht, JP Kukreti, Jitendra Dandona of Doon Relief Fund, Manoj Dhyani of Association for Democratic Reforms, Mukesh Naryan Sharma, Asha Tamta of Social Justice Foundation, Jagmohan Mendiratta, ex-President, All India Bank Employees Organisation, Uma Sisodiya, Jaya Singh, Shakuntala Gosain and Anchal Sharma.
They wanted that more young persons should participate and take the initiative in this regard. Parents should teach children about the effect of cutting trees on the future.
