Uttarakhand: Villagers burn effigies of environmentalists protesting felling of deodar trees

Uttarkashi, Dec 8 (PTI) Some villages in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district on Monday held a counter protest a day after environmentalists, social workers, and activists gathered in Harsil to protest against the plan to fell deodar trees for the widening of the Gangotri national highway.

The road-widening project is taking place between Jhala and Bhaironghati in the district, and reportedly, over 6,000 trees have been marked for cutting.

Villagers of Dharali, which was hit by a massive flash flood in August, burned effigies of environmentalists on Monday, calling them anti-development for protesting against the project.

Villagers from Upla Taknaur and Dharali staged a protest at the district magistrate's office after burning the effigies. The villagers warned that if the state government and administration do not stop the environmentalists, they will be forced to resort to more aggressive agitation.

A local, Sushil Panwar, said that development has already been stalled due to the disaster, and now the opposition to road widening is further jeopardising their future.

He said that environmentalists are giving figures that about 6,000 deodar trees are going to be cut for the widening of the highway, but according to the Forest Department and the Border Roads Organisation, only 3,500 trees would be cut.

Panwar said that Dharali village, including Gangotri Dham, is located on the India-China border, and while China has extended its railway line to the international border, the road on the Indian side has not even been widened yet.

"Environmentalists are sitting in Delhi and Dehradun advocating for tree conservation, which is hindering the development of the region. The entire Harshil region, including Dharali, opposes these environmentalists," he said.

Environmentalists protesting the project tied sacred threads to the deodar trees at a Raksha Sutra programme held in Harshil on Sunday, pledging to protect them. PTI DPT AMJ AMJ AMJ