Ex-Servicemen Lead Green Mission as 5,000 Saplings Planted in Pithoragarh Amid Highway Tree Felling
Pithoragarh/Dehradun: At a time when thousands of trees are being felled for the Dehradun–Rishikesh four-lane highway project, a group of ex-servicemen in Uttarakhand has launched a contrasting green initiative by planting more than 5,000 saplings in Pithoragarh district.
The large-scale plantation drive was led by retired Army officer and Suvakot Sarpanch Captain Bhupendra Singh Son in collaboration with the 130 Environment Battalion and the Ex-Servicemen Organisation. The campaign transformed a barren stretch of land in the Suvakot area into what organisers hope will become a thriving green belt in the years ahead.
Unlike many plantation drives that end with ceremonial planting, organisers have pledged long-term protection and maintenance of every sapling. Captain Son said the responsibility does not end with planting trees and that ex-servicemen, along with villagers, have committed themselves to nurturing the plantation until it matures.
The plantation included fruit-bearing and other indigenous tree species aimed at improving biodiversity, preventing soil erosion and creating a sustainable ecological asset for future generations.
The campaign drew participation from 130 Environment Battalion Deputy Commanding Officer Colonel V.S. Danu, Subedar Major Kuldeep Singh, Forest Department officials, local panchayat representatives, students from nearby schools, women volunteers, villagers and ex-servicemen.
Former soldiers, including Captain Diwan Singh (Sena Medal), Bhupendra Bohra, Subhash Bhatt, Parmanand Bhatt, Nanda Singh Bisht and Jeet Gobari, joined the drive, underscoring the role of veterans in community-led environmental conservation.
The initiative comes at a time when concerns over the ecological impact of infrastructure expansion, particularly the large-scale felling of trees for the Dehradun–Rishikesh four-lane highway, have intensified.
