Over 18,700 trees have already been cut down in and around Dehradun for six major infrastructure projects, with another 51,000 facing the axe for upcoming development, according to data released by Citizens for Green Doon (CFGD), a local environmental advocacy group.

The Ganeshpur-Asharodi section of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway alone accounted for 11,000 trees. Other recent projects include the widening of Sahastradhara Road (2,057), Premnagar-Paonta highway (4,202), Smart City work (199), Purkul-Kimadi road (316), and Chamasari-Barlowganj road (964), TOI reported.

“This figure does not even account for isolated cases like tree felling near Rashtrapati Ashiana or the many others being cut regularly for some infrastructure project or the other. Even trees with narrow girths have not been included in the official data,” said CFGD’s Ira Chauhan. The real number is much higher, Chauhan added.

Upcoming works such as the Song dam project, airport expansion, and multiple four-lane highways may cost another 51,151 trees. “At this rate, there won’t be any trees left in Doon,” Chauhan warned.

Activists say the damage is already visible. After trees were cut on Sahastradhara Road, the temperature there rose by around two degrees, according to Ashish Garg, an eco-activist. Experts warn of the heat island effect and reduced air quality.

Botany professor Lalit Tewari of Kumaun University emphasized the oxygen loss. “A fully mature tree can yield around 260 pounds of oxygen per year. Depending on the species, a 100-foot tree can generate up to 6,000 pounds in its lifetime, enough to support the daily needs of two to four people. So losing 19,000 trees means losing an equivalent amount of oxygen.”

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