As Dehradun Crosses 45°C, Young Activists and Citizens Step Up to Save the City’s Forests

About the author: Ekta Sati currently works with the Ministry of Environment, blending legal acumen with heartfelt advocacy for the planet. With over three years of experience, a Master’s in Environmental Law from Jindal, and work with WWF-India and Sankalptaru, she brings policy to life. Passionate about storytelling, she writes on climate and the changemakers shaping a greener tomorrow.

Once known for its cool breeze and whispering pines, Dehradun is now sweating under a sun it no longer recognises. Summer temperatures that once hovered comfortably below 40°C now routinely breach 45°C, baking the Doon Valley and signalling an environmental crisis that’s impossible to ignore.

In response, residents — especially the youth — are showing up, speaking out, and pushing back.

From students to long-time environmentalists, people across Dehradun are coming together in a fresh wave of collective action. The movement is rooted in the city’s legacy of resistance, much like the Chipko Movement of 1973 that began here under Sunderlal Bahuguna. Sparked by large-scale infrastructure plans—such as the Jolly Grant Airport expansion and roadworks cutting through elephant corridors—residents are mobilising to protect Dehradun’s forests and wildlife. 

Youth-led protests have already helped stop the illegal denotification of the Shivalik Elephant Reserve, preventing the displacement of leopards, sloth bears, and over 315 species of birds.

This article explores how Dehradun’s youth, organisations, and legal advocates are leading the charge, achieving tangible victories in their fight for sustainability, and contributing to India’s broader climate goals, such as reducing emissions intensity by 45% by 2030 under SDG 13 (Climate Action).

A generation that refuses to look away

Dehradun’s youth are playing a central role in the city’s growing environmental movement. They are participating in clean-up drives, organising rallies, and raising awareness about the impact of deforestation and pollution.

Among them is Miss Gargi, a first-year student at Graphic Era University and a resident of Bhaniyawala. She has been actively involved in protests against the plan to cut down 4,300 trees along the Bhaniyawala-Rishikesh stretch for a road-widening project.

“The loss of these trees doesn’t just affect us residents; it endangers the Shivalik Elephant Reserve’s biodiversity, which consists of elephants, tigers, and various deer species like Sambar, Barking deer, and Spotted deer,” she said, her voice filled with urgency.

Gargi, along with several other students, has helped organise awareness campaigns, circulated online petitions, and taken part in peaceful demonstrations.

“Policymakers often ignore how these trees regulate our climate, keeping temperatures bearable. Without them, Dehradun’s air quality has worsened, with the AQI spiking to unhealthy levels during summer months.”

Their efforts have contributed to slowing down the tree felling in the Bhaniyawala-Rishikesh area. More importantly, the protests have sparked ongoing discussions among students and local communities about forest protection and the long-term costs of development.

Priyansh Mittal, a final-year law student at Law College, Dehradun, is turning his interest in environmental issues into a serious legal pursuit. His journey began at age 16, when a school workshop by Making a Difference by Being the Difference (MAD) opened his eyes to the region’s vulnerabilities—Dehradun’s position in Seismic Zone IV, its history of illegal limestone mining, and the landslides that followed.

“In just a decade, I’ve seen Dehradun transform,” Priyansh said, pointing toward the now-barren IMA stretch. “The lush green trees that once defined Dehradun are now disappearing. Stretches from the Indian Military Academy (IMA) to the city centre have turned barren. Trees that were 20 to 30 years old are being cut every few months for one project or another. These experiences have convinced me to do my part in protecting this small but precious valley. I’m researching environmental cases to fight for legal protections, because this valley deserves better.”

Priyansh has already begun putting that commitment into practice. His legal research contributed to a 2024 Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that halted a road-widening project threatening over 500 trees. The case not only helped preserve vital green cover but also highlighted the growing role of youth-led legal action in shaping environmental policy and accountability.

1. Making a Difference by being the Difference 

Founded in 2011 by Advocate Abhijay Negi, Making a Difference by Being the Difference (MAD by BTD) is a student-led, volunteer-driven activist group based in Dehradun. Entirely student-funded and operated, MAD has carved a unique space for itself as a platform where young people choose to spend their Sundays not in rest, but in rebuilding and reclaiming public spaces.

What sets MAD apart is its participatory model: decentralised, transparent, and driven by collective accountability. This structure allows for quick, coordinated responses to urgent civic and environmental issues, often before authorities take notice. Over the years, their sustained Sunday campaigns have not only cleaned rivers and revived green spacestree but have also shifted local attitudes, instilling a sense of ownership and responsibility among residents. 

In their latest “Chalo Tapkeshwar” campaign, organised in collaboration with other local groups, about 80 youth volunteers participated in the cleaning of the Tamsa River, which flows through the Tapkeshwar Temple premises in Dehradun. Over the course of the drive, they collected 65 bags of waste, which were then sent to Waste Warriors’ recycling facility for appropriate segregation and processing of plastic and other materials.

The campaign drew local media attention and the initiative has strengthened dialogue with the Dehradun Municipal Corporation regarding improved waste infrastructure in religious and tourist sites.

MAD has dedicated the second Sunday of June to organise India's largest plastic-free Madathon (Marathon) in the past years. Their mission is to bridge the persistent gap between policy and on-ground practice through sustained, hands-on engagement.

Since its inception, MAD has consistently engaged in impactful advocacy. One notable achievement was securing directions from the Ministry of Water Resources on 24.01.2014 to the National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, to undertake a study assessing the behaviour of local streams and submit a report within two months. Through their sustained efforts, in 2016 MAD was able to get the Bindal and Rispana rivers officially recognised as tributaries of the River Ganga, an important step in strengthening their legal and ecological protection.

In conversation with Mr. Karan, a longstanding and active member of MAD and an environmentalist at heart. He joined MAD when he was pursuing his eleventh class in 2013, and now he is a filmmaker and has his production house in Dehradun.  I asked what motivates him to continue his involvement with the organisation. He reflected:

“What keeps me going is the belief that real change starts with showing up week after week, regardless of how big the challenge seems. For me, MAD is not just about volunteering; it’s a feeling. It gave me the opportunity to give back to the valley that gave me so many memories. The valley needs us the most right now, and I can’t stop working to protect the city just because I have other work. MAD’s community spirit shows that consistent action can transform Dehradun.”

2. Citizens for Green Doon

Citizens for Green Doon (CFGD) is a collective of ordinary residents united by their shared love for Dehradun. The group includes engineers, fashion designers, doctors, teachers, students, homemakers, and others, all bound by a common purpose: to protect and preserve the city’s natural environment. Founded in 2009 by Dr. Nitin Pandey, CFGD’s core committee includes Mr. Himanshu Arora, Ms. Jaya Singh, Ms. Ira Chauhan, Mr. Anish Lal, and Ms. Ruchi Singh Rao. 

One of their most impactful protests took place during the extreme heat wave from early May 2024, during a record-breaking heatwave with temperatures hitting 43°C, CFGD led a protest of 3,000 citizens against a plan to cut 250 trees for a four-lane road in New Cantt. The vibrant demonstration, with children holding signs reading “Save Our Trees” and elders chanting for sustainability, forced authorities to halt the project, saving all 250 trees. CFGD’s Chipko 2.0 campaign has protected trees in Khalanga’s forests, while their symbolic “tree funeral” for felled trees gives shraddhanjali to those who work for us their entire lives and leave silently without saying much—the trees. This silent movement drew many to mourn the loss of Dehradun’s green heritage. 

When asked about the government's post-felling compensatory measures, Mr. Himanshu Arora, a core member of Citizens for Green Doon (CFGD), acknowledged ongoing challenges but emphasised how public vigilance has begun to shift the narrative. 

“There are two main forms of measures,” he explained. “First is tree transplantation, which has proven ineffective—the transplanted trees on Sahastradhara Road have not survived. Second is the claim that planting 10 saplings for every one tree cut compensates for the loss. This doesn’t hold up, especially when the survival rate of the new saplings is so low.”

However, sustained citizen pressure, including social media campaigns, and legal interventions, has successfully stalled several reckless felling proposals. In one instance, public outcry led to the revision of a road-widening plan to preserve a stretch of old trees in New Cantt area.

He further added:

“2.9 Lakh trees were planted in 2020 for Rispana rejuvenation, spending around 59 lakhs, yet, very few, if any, saplings have survived.”

Such outcomes do not indicate a lack of effort but rather the need for more robust planning, maintenance, and monitoring in afforestation projects. In this context, citizen vigilance becomes crucial—not to criticise but to ensure that public resources translate into lasting environmental gains.

In addition to public advocacy, CFGD has taken strong legal action. The group has filed multiple writ petitions, Public Interest Litigations, and Original Applications before the Supreme Court, High Court, and National Green Tribunal—often securing favourable directions that have helped halt ecologically harmful projects and set precedents for more accountable development.

3. Dehradun Citizens Forum and Mayor Samvad

Dehradun Citizens Forum organised the first-ever Mayor Samvad in the history of Dehradun, just ten days before the January 2025 elections. This dialogue provided citizens with a unique opportunity to engage directly with the mayoral candidates and understand their vision for the city, particularly concerning environmental and civic challenges.

At the event, a few school students brought bottles filled with polluted river water, symbolically challenging the mayoral candidates to clean these rivers during their term and prove measurable improvements.

When I spoke with Mr. Anoop Nautiyal, an active member of Dehradun Citizens Forum and founder of the Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation, he voiced serious concerns about the increasing tree-cutting activities in the city. He cited noticeable temperature increases along many stretches, for instance, from Clock Tower to Ballupur and Ballupur to the Forest Research Institute, as a direct consequence of lost green cover.

Mr. Nautiyal also highlighted the often-overlooked concept of Wet Bulb Temperature (WBT), a critical indicator that combines heat and humidity to assess human discomfort and safety, especially during peak summer months. He expressed concern that mainstream state media rarely addresses this scientifically relevant metric when discussing climate resilience and public health.

In his words:

“Although we may see only 200 people on the streets of Dehradun protesting, it doesn't mean that only they care about the vanishing greenery. Thousands are deeply concerned, it's just that they are caught up with their jobs and businesses.”

Edited by Leila Badyari