By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Green activists on Tuesday continued their protest demonstrations at Sat Mod area near Rishikesh against the felling of 3000 trees for the widening of a highway through the ecologically sensitive elephant corridor of Rajaji National Park in Uttarakhand.
But woodcutters remained unconcerned and continued to cut sal (Shorea robusta) trees amid heavy police deployment at Sat Mod.
Around 3000 trees are proposed to be felled for the widening of the nearly 20 km stretch of the Rishikesh-Bhanyawala highway passing through the Saat Mod area.
About a dozen activists associated with the Uttarakhand Kranti Dal (UKD), a political outfit in Uttarakhand, along with environmentalists and local residents, staged a sit-in protest at Satmod, demanding that the government halt the felling of trees to protect the forest and its wildlife, particularly wild elephants that frequently use the corridor.
Some dramatic scenes were witnessed as protesters tried to snatch wood-cutting machines from woodcutters.
The protest has gained momentum over the past few days, with environmentalists, social activists, students and local citizens turning up in large numbers every day to oppose the project and raise concerns over its impact on the fragile ecosystem of the Doon Valley and Rajaji National Park. Many protesters have been detained or arrested so far.
Meanwhile, tree-felling work continued amid the demonstration in the presence of police personnel deployed to maintain law and order.
Officials, however, defended the highway project, saying several mitigation measures have been incorporated to minimise its impact on wildlife and forests. They said an underpasses would be constructed at identified locations to facilitate the safe movement of wild elephants across the highway.
The proposed highway expansion has emerged as one of Uttarakhand’s most contentious environmental issues, with conservationists warning that large-scale tree felling in the elephant corridor could have long-term consequences for wildlife movement and the ecological balance of the region.
