By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Dehradun: Uttarakhand on Thursday celebrated Harela, the state’s traditional festival dedicated to nature and tree plantation amid growing concerns over the rampant felling of trees for road projects in Dehradun.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami led the Harela festivities by planting saplings at the main function in Dehradun and urged people to reaffirm their commitment to environmental conservation.
Addressing the Harela Utsav organised under the Lok Sanvardhan Parv at Parade Ground in Dehradun, Dhami said Harela is not merely a festival of greenery but a symbol of Uttarakhand’s rich cultural heritage, social harmony and deep-rooted respect for nature.
Dhami said the Lok Sanvardhan Parv was helping preserve and promote Uttarakhand’s folk traditions, culture and performing arts. He also praised renowned folk singer and Garh Ratna Narendra Singh Negi for carrying the state’s culture, environmental consciousness, rural life and social concerns to audiences across the country through his music.
However, the official celebrations were accompanied by protests against the ongoing felling of trees at Sat Mod and other parts of Dehradun for the proposed Rishikesh-Bhaniawala highway widening project passing through the Rajaji National Park’s sensitive elephant corridor.
Environmentalists said the large-scale loss of trees stood in sharp contrast to the spirit of Harela, which celebrates ecological balance and afforestation. Several activists and citizens stayed away from the festivities as a mark of protest.
“How can we celebrate Harela when hundreds of trees are being felled in Dehradun alone?” asked environmentalist Prateek Verma, a key campaigner against the tree felling.
Conservationists warned that the continuing removal of mature sal trees could have long-term ecological consequences for the Doon Valley, an environmentally sensitive region already facing mounting pressures from rapid urbanisation and infrastructure development.