Cutting down precious Oaks to build so called worldclass ski resort in Auli!

Pradeep Nayak

Its too ironic that in the name of sports the Uttarakhand Government has allowed to cut down around 2000 oaks(sic!) whereas they have shut down the Nanda devi sentuary trek in the name of environment protection.

And everybody in that area know that the influential locals frequentin the prohibited area for Musk deer and 'Kira Jari'!

I just don't know where are the environment lovers, media people? I can't believe by next year all the 2000 oaks of auli would be humbled by greed of certain decision makers.

How much each one of them is getting?!

PeakXV

I thought the ski resort was already built & open. Are they making an expansion or new ski run? Only oak or deodar as well. Were does the 2000 number come from ... link to any article??

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Don't go to India ~ Pre-trip Warnings & Misconceptions?

Pradeep Nayak

You are right; they are expending the resort. I did the Kuanri pass trek this month. Thats how I came to know about it. They have numbered the trees that are to be cut - just like the criminals waiting for death sentence..!

If you have gone to auli you must have seen the immediate stretch of jungle on the top of the ski stretch - all are oak;next time you'll not be ablee to see the beautiful stretch!

ebby

We feel so helpless when such incidents take place, the voice of the citizens are not heard. The locals also dont protest because they get employment & business when these resorts come up.

Dilliwala

The new works are not exactly for a new resort, they're for the South Asian Winter Games this year.

piran_e

This seems to be the usual but unfortunate pattern unfolding across most parts of the country. The government is the worst protector of our forests, and our forests would be better preserved without their intervention. Our bureaucrats are selfish , greedy , corrupt peolpe who care two hoots for the environment. A rather sad story.

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skk

I too was deeply saddened by the sight of the magnificent trees, that I'd remembered( or imagined) lining the road between Pune and Sangli for decades being cut down as part of the project for widening and making a modern road out of National Highway 4 connecting Mumbai and Chennai. I watched them being first labelled, then just lying on the roadside, then those limbs disappeared from the roadside, then a new road was there and all imagery of the old road was wiped off the face of the earth, all in the space of 15 years. I hope somebody has taken good video of the earlier road - I have my amateur video of it and that's all.

I've gotta admit, despite the sadness I feel, I support that cut-down as I would support a cut down in Uttarkhand, despite the sadness I'd feel, so that a world-class Ski resort can be built ( Being in Colorado, and since I ski, I know how much money, prosperity and sheer fun a Ski resort can bring about )

Perhaps some of them can be moved ? I talked to a forestry officer about the cutting down of banyan trees in my area of interest - he assured me that it isn't currently possible to relocate them.

Given trees versus human prosperity - its an easy choice, for me. Sorry.

-skk

Ashish Agrawal

They might cut down all the oaks trees in the name of building a world class ski resort, but i guess that world class would only be on papers.

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Dilliwala

That's a bit harsh. There are many honest forest officers throughout the country who do their jobs quietly (and thanklessly), and they are employed by the govts. If there were no forest depts., all the trees in this country wud have been cut down long ago by the timber mafias. The problem is usually politicians, aided and abetted by a handful of corrupt officers.

I, of course, don't give a hoot whether we have world-class ski resorts or not.

Pradeep Nayak

Whatever be the cause, I see the two thousand precious oak trees - numbered like prisoners, standing mutely to face the death sentence.

Its shocking. In a country like India where Death sentence is almost never given, why the poor trees will be sentenced to death to accomodate a few people's luxury?

As such I have seen the peaceful people of that place fighting among themselves for few hundred rupees for "Kira Jari". So I am not much hopeful of their prosperity.

Dilliwala

It's only going to get worse, not better. Take a look at the last link at the bottom. And that one's been in the pipelines for a while too. Then there's Khalia near Munsyari, Mundali near Chakrata.......the list will get longer.

skk

Very evocatively put.

-skk