Flood disaster renews calls to save 6,000 threatened deodar trees near Ganga’s source

By Bharat Dogra

The recent devastation caused by flash floods and landslides in Uttarakhand has once again underlined the urgent need to protect thousands of deodar trees near the origin of the Ganga river. Dharali, a settlement in Bhatwari block of Uttarkashi district, was almost completely destroyed earlier this month when a sudden flood swept through, despite desperate attempts by residents of nearby villages to sound traditional warning whistles to save lives.

In the wake of this tragedy, experts and local residents have warned that the threats to Himalayan settlements are rising due to the twin pressures of climate change and indiscriminate construction. One of the most pressing concerns is the proposed felling of about 6,000 deodar trees for road-widening in the fragile Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone, close to the Gaumukh glacier.

Scientists have strongly opposed the plan. Renowned geologist Dr. Nalin Juyal has cautioned that cutting these trees would increase the risk of avalanches and floods, stressing that alternative solutions must be explored. Senior glaciologist D.P. Dobhal and climate scientist N. Bala have also emphasized the vital protective role forests play in minimizing disaster impacts in this region.

Environmental activists argue that the ecological value of these forests far outweighs the benefits of road expansion. The Raksha Sutra movement, inspired by the Chipko tradition, has proposed an alternative alignment for a new road that would improve connectivity for remote villages while sparing most of the threatened trees.

Local communities fear that if the large-scale tree felling goes ahead, the damage will be irreversible. Natural forests, they point out, cannot be recreated through plantation drives. When a big tree falls, smaller trees, shrubs, herbs, and biodiversity around it are also lost. Villagers and small shopkeepers are also anxious about the cascading impacts of poorly planned construction projects—dams, tunnels, and highways—that often lead to rubble being dumped into rivers, heightening flood risks.

Experts warn that the loss of trees in the upper catchment areas of the Ganga will have downstream effects too, altering water availability in the densely populated plains. This would directly affect farming, drinking water, and livelihoods far beyond Uttarkashi.

The Uttarkashi-Gangotri stretch is not only ecologically fragile but also holds immense spiritual significance as the origin of the Ganga. Local panchayats, women’s groups, and social organizations have repeatedly appealed to the authorities to adopt a cooperative approach that balances development needs with ecological safety.

Despite the heavy losses suffered in recent floods, critics say government agencies often fail to learn lessons, resuming work without adequate safeguards once the disaster subsides. Environmentalists warn that pushing ahead with indiscriminate tree cutting in such a sensitive zone would amount to “ecocide.”

There is still time, they argue, for the government to act wisely—by protecting forests, working with local communities, and ensuring that infrastructure development strengthens, rather than undermines, the region’s resilience.

---

The writer is Honorary Convener, Campaign to Save Earth Now. His recent books include Man Over Machine, Protecting Earth for Children, and A Day in 2071

Comments

The golden crop: How turmeric is transforming women's lives in tribal India

By Vikas Meshram* When the lush green fields of turmeric sway in the tribal belt of southern Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, it is not merely a spice crop — it is the golden glow of self-reliance. In villages where even basic spices once had to be bought from the market, the very soil today is yielding a prosperity that has transformed the lives of thousands of families. At the heart of this transformation is the initiative of Vaagdhara, which has linked turmeric with livelihoods, nutrition, and village self-governance — gram swaraj.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Authoritarian destruction of the public sphere in Ecuador: Trumpism in action?

By Pilar Troya Fernández The situation in Ecuador under Daniel Noboa's government is one of authoritarianism advancing on several fronts simultaneously to consolidate neoliberalism and total submission to the US international agenda. These are not isolated measures, but rather a coordinated strategy that combines job insecurity, the dismantling of the welfare state, unrestricted access to mining, the continuation of oil exploitation without environmental considerations, the centralization of power through the financial suffocation of local governments, and the systematic criminalization of all forms of opposition and popular organization.

Echoes of Vietnam and Chile: The devastating cost of the I-A Axis in Iran

By Ram Puniyani The recent joint military actions by Israel and the United States against Iran have been devastating. Like all wars, this conflict is brutal to its core, leaving a trail of human suffering in its wake. The stated pretext for this aggression—the brutality of the Ayatollah Khamenei regime and its nuclear ambitions—clashes sharply with the reality of the diplomatic landscape. Iran had expressed a willingness to remain at the negotiating table, signaling a readiness to concede points emerging from dialogue.

False claim? What Venezuela is witnessing is not surrender but a tactical retreat

By Manolo De Los Santos The early morning hours of January 3, 2026, marked an inflection point in Venezuela and Latin America’s centuries-long struggle for self-determination and independence. Operation Absolute Resolve, ordered by the Trump administration, constituted the most brutal and direct military assault on a sovereign state in the region in recent memory. In a shocking operation that left hundreds dead, President Nicolás Maduro and First Lady Cilia Flores were illegally kidnapped from Venezuelan soil and transported to the United States, where they now face fabricated charges in a New York federal detention facility. In the two months since this act of war, a torrent of speculation has emerged from so-called experts and pundits across the political spectrum. This has followed three main lines: One . The operation’s success indicated treason at the highest levels of the Bolivarian Revolution. Two . Acting President Delcy Rodríguez and the remaining leadership have abandone...

The selective memory of a violent city: Uttam Nagar and the invisible victims of Delhi

By Sunil Kumar* Hundreds of murders take place in Delhi every year, yet only a few incidents become topics of nationwide discussion. The question is: why does this happen? Today, the incident in Uttam Nagar has become the centre of national debate. A 26-year-old man, Tarun Kumar, was killed following a dispute that reportedly began after a balloon hit a small child. In several colonies of Delhi, slogans such as “Jai Shri Ram” and “Vande Mataram” are being raised while demanding the death penalty for Tarun’s killers. As a result, nearly 50,000 residents of Hastsal JJ Colony are now living in what resembles a state of confinement.

The price of silence: Why Modi won’t follow Shastri, appeal for sacrifice

By Arundhati Dhuru, Sandeep Pandey* In 1965, as India grappled with war and a crippling food crisis, Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri faced a United States that used wheat shipments under the PL-480 agreement as a lever to dictate Indian foreign policy. Shastri’s response remains legendary: he appealed to the nation to skip one meal a day. Millions of middle-class households complied, choosing temporary hunger over the sacrifice of national dignity. Today, India faces a modern equivalent in the energy sector, yet the leadership’s response stands in stark contrast to that era of self-reliance.

Love letters in a lifelong war: Babusha Kohli’s resistance in verse

By Ravi Ranjan* “War does not determine who is right—only who is left.” Bertrand Russell’s words echo hauntingly in our times, and few contemporary Hindi poets embody this truth as profoundly as Babusha Kohli. Emerging from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, Kohli has carved a unique space in literature by weaving together tenderness, protest, and philosophy across poetry, prose, and cinema. Her work is not merely artistic expression—it is resistance, refuge, and a call for peace.

Search This Blog