Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday, 18 July ordered an immediate suspension of tree-felling at the 'Saat Mod' forest stretch in Dehradun, halting work on the Bhaniyawala–Rishikesh highway-widening project until a consensus is reached with all stakeholders. The decision follows sustained protests by environmentalists and local residents opposed to the proposed felling of over 4,000 trees for the road expansion.

What Triggered the Halt

Demonstrations against the project stretched across several days, intensifying when protesters chose to mark 'Black Harela' on Thursday — a deliberate inversion of Uttarakhand's annual Harela festival, which traditionally celebrates trees and nature. The symbolic protest drew wider public attention and added political pressure on the state government to respond.

Chief Minister Dhami acknowledged the groundswell of concern in a post on X, stating: 'I have taken serious note of the concerns and suggestions expressed in recent days by numerous citizens, environmental enthusiasts, and local residents regarding the Dehradun–Rishikesh four/six-lane project.'

What the Government Said

Dhami emphasised that the Bhaniyawala–Rishikesh project is a National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) initiative being executed under the Hybrid Annuity Mode (HAM) at a cost of ₹743 crore, and that proceedings had been carried out in compliance with High Court directions and all statutory and environmental approvals.

He noted that wildlife safeguards are built into the project design, including an approximately 3.5-kilometre-long elephant underpass and special culverts for smaller wildlife — measures intended to reduce human-wildlife conflict and road accident fatalities on the stretch. The NHAI separately confirmed that the roughly 20-kilometre project is being executed in accordance with mitigation measures recommended by experts, particularly concerning elephant corridors.

The Consensus Condition

Dhami directed the Chief Secretary and concerned officials to resume detailed dialogue with all stakeholders — local citizens, public representatives, and domain experts — before any further tree-felling proceeds. He made clear that future proceedings will be conducted 'with full respect for the directions and decisions of the Hon'ble High Court.'

'Development is essential for us, but no decision will be taken while ignoring public sentiments, the environment, and local interests,' Dhami said. He added: 'For me, Uttarakhand's nature, public sentiments, and the state's development — all three are equally important. Our government will move forward only on the basis of dialogue, consensus, and broad public interest.'

Broader Context

The Saat Mod controversy is part of a recurring tension in Uttarakhand between infrastructure expansion — driven by rising pilgrim traffic to Char Dham shrines and national highway upgrades — and the state's ecologically sensitive Himalayan terrain. Critics argue that large-scale road projects in the region have repeatedly underestimated environmental costs, particularly in forest corridors shared with elephants and other wildlife. This comes amid growing scrutiny of highway projects across India's hill states, where tree-loss assessments and compensatory afforestation compliance remain contested.

With the suspension now in place, the pace and outcome of the stakeholder dialogue will determine whether the project resumes in its current form, is redesigned, or faces a longer legal and political standoff.