00:03On your screen, trees that stood for decades are being chopped down.
00:07Meanwhile residents gathered with guitars, drums and placards hoping to stop the next one from falling.
00:17Between these two scenes lies the debate over Uttarakhand's highway expansion.
00:26The National Highways Authority of India plans to widen a 20km stretch of the Bhaniawala-Rishikesh Highway,
00:32a 743 crore project that would involve felling 4,369 trees and transplanting 754 more.
00:45The NHAI says the expansion is necessary to ease congestion on the busy South Mohr stretch and improve connectivity.
00:52But it also says the project is being carried out with expert-recommended mitigation measures,
00:56particularly because the route passes through an elephant corridor.
00:59You gave the training in the first place that you will go from this route.
01:04You will not go from this route because you will go from this route.
01:06But residents, environmentalists and several social organizations say the cost is too high.
01:11They argue that thousands of trees in the ecologically sensitive Shivalik forests will be lost,
01:16wildlife corridors will be disrupted and landslide risks could increase.
01:24As the protests continue, locals have used Black Harela,
01:27a traditional festival celebrating greenery as a way to raise their voice against tree-felling.
01:32If you reach 10 minutes soon, then what, Ganga Maa will be more happy with you?
01:36The matter is before the Supreme Court.
01:39But for now, the debate over development and conservation is far from over.
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