As Spring Nears, Heatwave Fears Return to Dehradun — Citizens Rise Again to Save 250 Trees
Dehradun:
With spring giving way to an early summer and memories of last year’s brutal heat still fresh, Dehradun’s residents are once again bracing for a familiar nightmare — scorching temperatures and shrinking green cover.
In June 2024, when the mercury had touched an alarming 43°C, thousands of citizens had taken to the streets of Dehradun to protest the proposed felling of nearly 250 trees for the Cantt Road project. The mass march had forced the government to step back, assuring that not a single tree would be cut.
Less than a year later, the controversial plan has resurfaced.
Citizens allege that preparations are once again underway to axe the same trees, with fears that even more may be sacrificed in the name of “development”. The renewed move has triggered outrage among residents, environmentalists and urban planners, who warn that cutting mature trees now would only worsen the city’s vulnerability to heatwaves, water stress and declining air quality.
To collectively express their concern, worried citizens have announced a peaceful padyatra (walk) to oppose the tree felling.
Padyatra details:
Time: 8:30 am
Date: Sunday, 1 March
Starting point: Dilaram Chowk, Rajpur Road
Organisers say the march is not political but a call to protect Dehradun’s ecological balance at a time when climate extremes are becoming more frequent and severe.
“Last year’s heat was a warning,” said one participant. “If we cut trees now, the coming summer could be far worse. This is about survival, not just greenery.”
As heatwaves loom large and spring already feels unusually warm, Dehradun’s citizens are hoping their collective voice will once again force the authorities to rethink development at the cost of the city’s last green shields.
