Uttarakhand authorities have approved the felling of 5,745 trees for the upgradation and widening of the Bageshwar-Kanda National Highway, sparking fresh ecological concerns in the fragile Himalayan region already reeling from widespread deforestation protests in Uttarkashi. The project, divided into five phases connecting Bageshwar district headquarters to Ghingarutola in Almora district, will primarily affect Bageshwar, where the majority of the marked trees—including a large number of fruit-bearing species such as walnut, peach, apricot, and kafal—stand along the 42-kilometre route. Environmental activists warn that removing this substantial green cover on steep slopes will heighten landslide risks, disrupt local biodiversity, and deprive communities of vital non-timber forest produce.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the state Public Works Department (PWD) argue that the widening from single-lane to intermediate two-lane standards is essential for safer travel, reduced accidents, and better connectivity to remote villages in the Kumaon hills. Officials claim compensatory afforestation of over 57,000 saplings—ten times the number felled—will be carried out, alongside soil conservation measures and bio-engineering on cut slopes. However, activists and locals remain sceptical, pointing to past projects where survival rates of planted saplings were dismal and landslide frequency increased post-clearance.

The list of doomed trees includes ecologically sensitive species critical for watershed protection and avian habitats, with residents in villages like Kanda and Kapkot fearing loss of shade, fodder, and traditional fruit orchards that supplement meagre incomes. Environmental groups have demanded an immediate halt, alternative alignment studies, and public hearings, arguing that the highway can be upgraded with minimal tree loss through tunnelling or retaining walls in vulnerable stretches.

Also Read: Gujarat Records 341 Minor Pregnancies In 2025, Kadi And Mehsana Talukas Report Highest Cases

This development comes barely weeks after protests forced a partial review of the 6,000-plus tree felling plan for the Yamunotri National Highway in Uttarkashi, highlighting growing public resistance to infrastructure projects that prioritise speed over ecological stability in seismically active Uttarakhand. Activists have announced plans to approach the National Green Tribunal and the Uttarakhand High Court if the state proceeds without transparent environmental impact assessments.

As compensatory plantation sites remain unidentified and monsoon-induced landslides continue to claim lives annually, the Bageshwar-Kanda project has reignited the broader debate on balancing development with Himalayan fragility.

With two major highway projects now threatening over 12,000 trees in less than a month, environmentalists warn that unchecked deforestation could turn Uttarakhand’s green corridors into disaster-prone zones, undermining the state’s own disaster management and climate resilience policies.

Also Read: EC Revises SIR Deadlines For Six States; West Bengal Remains on Original Schedule