Bhopal Residents To Hug Trees, Tie Raksha Sutras In Protest Against Cutting 8K Trees; Warn Of Hunger Strike If Ignored

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): People in Bhopal are going to protest on Sunday evening to stop the cutting of 8,000 trees in Bhopal.

The trees are to be cut for a road widening project on Ayodhya Bypass Road, stretching from Asaram Tiraha to Ratnagiri Tiraha.

The road will be expanded to 10 lanes, including service lanes.

The protest will include people of all ages—children, adults, and elderly—who will hug the trees and tie raksha sutras (protective threads) to them as a symbol of saving nature.

The road widening project is being done by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

As part of the project, the road will be expanded to 10 lanes, including service lanes. Officials say it’s needed because there are three accident-prone spots on this road where 30–35 people die each year.

However, many locals and environmentalists believe the trees should not be cut. Environment activist Umashankar Tiwari said, “Development is important, but it should not harm the environment. NHAI should change the design so both the project and trees can be saved.”

A meeting was held on Saturday with several nature lovers and leaders, including former minister Deepak Joshi, Nitin Saxena, Kamal Rathi, Dr. Rajeev Jain, Sujesh Kulshreshth, Anshu Gupta, and Aruna Sharma.

They warned that if no steps are taken soon, they may begin a hunger strike or long protest.

Expecting protests, NHAI has filed a caveat in the High Court and the National Green Tribunal (NGT). This means the court must hear NHAI’s side before stopping the work.

Not the first protest

Earlier, a similar protest was held where people tied raksha sutras to trees at Ratnagiri Tiraha, promising to protect them. The protest was led by labour leader Deepak Gupta, who said, “This is not just about trees. It’s about our future and our survival. We won’t let them be cut.”

The movement is gaining support, as more people in Bhopal join together to protect the city’s green cover.