Instead of celebrating the Harela festival, environmentalists observed 'Black Harela' to protest the reported felling of over 3,000 trees for the Bhaniyawala–Jolly Grant–Rishikesh highway project.
Activist Anoop Nautiyal released RTI data showing 46,203 hectares of forest land have been diverted for development projects in Uttarakhand since 2000, with nearly 47% of the diversion occurring in Dehradun.
While the Uttarakhand government celebrated Harela by launching a 10 lakh sapling plantation drive, the NHAI defended the highway project, saying it includes environmental mitigation measures and wildlife-friendly infrastructure such as elephant underpasses.
TREES ARE BEING CUT DOWN in Uttarakhand as the state celebrates the Harela festival with tears in its eyes. Uttarakhand celebrated its annual Harela festival on July 16, 2026. The festival is Uttarakhand's traditional festival celebrating nature, the monsoon, and the beginning of the sowing season. The tradition is dedicated to trees, nature, and environmental conservation. However, many people refused to celebrate the festival, saying they could not mark an occasion dedicated to protecting nature while thousands of trees were being cut across the state. As a result, protesters observed "Black Harela" on July 16, 2026, to oppose the large-scale felling of trees for a highway expansion project.
Instead of celebrating the festival, protesters dressed in black gathered to oppose the cutting of thousands of trees along the Bhaniyawala–Jolly Grant–Rishikesh road project. They said they could not celebrate Harela while forests were being destroyed, arguing that it contradicted the very spirit of the festival.
The entire protest centres around the Bhaniyawala–Jolly Grant–Rishikesh Four/Six-Lane National Highway Project. Under the project, more than 3,000 trees are reportedly being felled. Along the stretch near Saat Mod in Dehradun, felled trees were seen lying along the roadside as workers continued cutting more trees to make way for the road expansion.
The nearly 20-kilometre-long project, estimated to cost ₹743 crore, is being constructed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM). According to the government, the highway aims to improve connectivity between Dehradun, Jolly Grant Airport, and Rishikesh, while also strengthening transport infrastructure for tourism, the Char Dham Yatra, and the state's increasing traffic demands.
The protesters raised slogans and sang songs with lyrics such as, "Don't cut the trees, brother, don't cut the trees. If you cut the trees, the soil will erode and the Ganga will dry." During the protest, some demonstrators were detained by the police for allegedly attempting to stop the work. According to the police, they were only carrying out the orders given to them. The Supreme Court is currently hearing the matter and is expected to decide the future of the thousands of trees being cut in Devbhumi (Land of the Gods), Uttarakhand.
Environmental activist Anoop Nautiyal, one of the prominent faces of the protest, obtained official data through an RTI application. On July 16, 2026, while observing Black Harela, he shared screenshots of the RTI response on social media. According to the RTI reply dated June 16, 2026, Uttarakhand has diverted 46,203 hectares of forest land for development projects since the state's formation in November 2000.
He said, "What worries me most is that 47% of this diversion has taken place in Dehradun district alone, a district that is just 6% of the total state's area." Nautiyal added that Harela should not remain only a symbolic celebration of greenery but should also become an occasion to reflect on the future of Uttarakhand's forests, rivers, mountains, and fragile ecosystem.
The RTI figures showed significant forest diversion for mining projects, transmission lines, power projects, irrigation works, and drinking water schemes. Another 20,837.63 hectares, representing about 45% of the diverted land, were categorised under "Others." District-wise figures for Dehradun, Haridwar, Nainital, Chamoli, and Tehri Garhwal also reflected substantial forest diversion.
Calling the figures alarming, Nautiyal warned that concentrating nearly half of the state's forest diversion in Dehradun could have serious ecological consequences. He said the ecological carrying capacity of the Doon Valley and the surrounding Shivalik landscape cannot be treated as limitless.
Referring specifically to the ongoing highway project, he said it had become a symbol of a development model that places increasing pressure on natural forests and the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. He urged both the Central and Uttarakhand governments to review infrastructure projects involving avoidable destruction of forests.
He said poorly planned projects ultimately harm the environment, ordinary citizens, and particularly economically weaker and vulnerable communities, who are the least equipped to recover from natural disasters intensified by environmental degradation.
Despite the widespread protests and public outcry, the Uttarakhand government proceeded with its official Harela celebrations across the state. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the celebrations by planting saplings in Dehradun and Almora and announced a target of planting 10 lakh saplings across Uttarakhand during this year's festival.
Despite these initiatives, the controversy remains significant. According to environmentalists, the project passes through an ecologically sensitive region, and the large-scale removal of mature trees will significantly reduce green cover, damage biodiversity, disturb wildlife habitats, and alter the area's microclimate. Many environmentalists therefore chose to stay away from the government's official Harela events.
NDTV quoted one of the protesters as saying, "Does the government want to turn this place into a desert or a concrete jungle? Even the person operating the saw rests in the shade of these very trees when tired."
The protesters have also alleged that the tree felling is being carried out without adequate environmental safeguards. They pointed out that every major infrastructure project requires an Environmental Assessment Plan (EAP) to compensate for ecological damage and demanded that authorities strictly implement these mitigation measures instead of merely approving them on paper.
In response, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), which is executing the project, defended the road expansion. It said the project is being implemented according to recommendations made by environmental experts, particularly because the highway passes through important elephant corridors.
Among those supporting the protest was Tanmay Mamgai, founding member of the Dhad Foundation, whose campaign led to Harela being officially declared Uttarakhand's state festival. Mamgai said the festival was losing its original purpose because forests were being cleared to support expanding cities while villages continued to witness migration. He argued that conducting plantation drives while simultaneously cutting down century-old trees defeated the objective of Harela and misled the people of Uttarakhand.
(Edited by Harsh Pandey)
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