Somya Bhatt

Project Specialist @UNDP ClimateChangeAdaptation #ClimateRisk Ex @giz_gmbh, interested in Sustainability, Environment & Gender issues

[Oppressor @TyrantOppressor]

BJP government is cutting around 4,000 trees in Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, in the name of development.

Locals are unhappy with this decision.

People protesting against it are being stopped by police, and their voices are being suppressed.

[Saral Patel @SaralPatel]

Common people in Uttarakhand are protesting against the cutting of 3,000 trees for the development of a 4-lane highway between Bhaniyawala and Rishikesh.

BJP double-engine government is working hard to destroy Devbhoomi.

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

50,000 trees cut around Dehradun, slaughtered from all sides:

It's vital that we understand that Dehradun is being critically slaughtered from all directions due to rampant tree cutting & unabated loss of green cover.

This is what I tried to explain last evening during the peoples protest program that close to 50000 trees have been cut plus will be cut for highways & roads.

This is just a rough estimate & the actual numbers may be much higher.

Grateful to Meenakshi Sati for capturing this & for sharing it on her instagram account.

The larger question for us all is whether this relentless focus on increased connectivity at the expense of tree cutting is worth all the environmental destruction.

#Dehradun
#Uttarakhand

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Upcoming Vidhan Sabha Elections & Massive Deforestation in #Uttarakhand:

Do we want the new govt in Uttarakhand after the next Vidhan Sabha election to also cut 50,000 Square Meters/250 Nalis/65 Bighas forest every day for some development scheme?

As citizens, let us not only discuss our collective future but also discuss the most sensible, environmentally friendly way forward for us all.

💚

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Overtourism in Uttarakhand:

If govts, businesses and people do not collectively work on finding solutions to tackle overtourism, then we are in for far more challenging days ahead. More in the short video!

Thank you!
[email protected]

#Uttarakhand

[Vishwa Yuvak Kendra @VYKIndia]

On #WorldEnvironmentDay2026, @VYKIndia is organizing a National Seminar and launching a Nationwide Environmental Awareness Campaign on the theme #NowForClimate with partners across India.
#ClimateAction #Sustainability #EnvironmentDay #VishwaYuvakKendra

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

I am deeply concerned by the recurring forest fires in #Uttarakhand. Our forests, wildlife and ecosystem should not have to continue to suffer like this every year. I urge CM and the forsst dept to adopt a proactive approach, with stronger prevention, preparedness and community involvement rather than reacting only after the damage is done.

Video Courtesy @WIONews 🙏

@pushkardhami
@SubodhUniyal1

[aree_shuklajii @th_anonymouse]

Well, because you won’t cover the news, let me cover it for you -

For the expansion of Dehradun Airport, the government is going to cut down 9,000 trees.

[Bahar Dutt @bahardutt]

For those of us celebrating the delhi #dehradun expressway here’s another view - yes there is this underpass for #wild animals to cross but it’s only in one section .. lest we forget 7000 trees were chopped so we can all reach one hour faster to a city choking with traffic

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

My Open ​Letter to the Chief Minister of #Uttarakhand

For years, I have been concerned and disturbed at the collective apathy and abject outcomes on the waste management front in our state of Uttarakhand. Over these years, ​like countless others, I have ​repeatedly advocated for a serious systemic approach to fix what is badly broken. Since we have hardly seen any improvements, I have once again decided to pen my thoughts and shared a few actionable suggestions for our Chief Minister, Shri @pushkardhami. I am sharing this ​open letter with the hope that we can all add our weight behind this public cause and​ do our bit to make our surroundings, villages, towns, forests and cities neater and cleaner than what they are today!

https://t.co/PC6eqRVILF

Thank you @CitiesQuestion for providing a platform to voice my opinion.

#HappyEid

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Dehradun, Haridwar and Nainital Climate Update:

A new study shows climate change is affecting Uttarakhand’s cities like Dehradun, Haridwar & Nainital differently. Across all three, warmer nights and unpredictable rains signal growing risks of floods and other extreme weather events. The study was conducted by researchers from @IIFM_Bhopal .

Courtesy : Gaurav Talwar @gauravtalwarTOI - Times of India

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Traffic Emergency in Uttarakhand:

In the light of the chronic traffic chaos in Doon Valley, I am of the firm opinion that the state of traffic has become crisis number one for the people of #Dehradun & many other towns in #Uttarakhand. This is not just a minor inconvenience for locals but for the hordes of tourists as well since it’s a worsening, structural failure due to lack of governance. This cannot be addressed only through policing measures like challans or temporary diversions.

It's vital to note that citizens continue to be excluded from dialogues on planning of all city wide issues including traffic and mobility while unplanned construction, repeated road digging, encroachments & haphazard parking steadily choke the city’s road capacity. The repeated neglect of public transport has further pushed Dehradun into a space of massive private vehicle dependence.

It's also perplexing why so much concrete laden infrastructure is proposed in the name of #Mussoorie, a town that only has a parking capacity of 1240 vehicles as per the reply of the state govt to NGT in one of its earlier communications. Thus, this rampant infra push for the alleged smoother passage of tourists to Mussoorie is abaffling decision that merits deeper scrutiny.

Finally, I believe that flyovers, expressways or elevated roads being made at the expense of greenery and tree cover are not the right solutions. Without major multi modal reforms, the proposed and upcoming new
infrastructure will merely lead to induced demand and move congestion from one place to the other, rather than solve the traffic problem systemically.

PS : Our political leaders and government refuse to acknowledge the massive anger of tourists and the economic/image damages to the tourism sector due to the mess and chaos on our streets. It's crucial to accept the grim traffic reality and move towards sustainable solutions, not only for today but for times to come as well.

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Climate Emergency in #Uttarakhand!

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Please join me in expressing solidarity with the farmers & their families in our state of #Uttarakhand . Do help in spreading the word around their anguish & outline community expectations. Thank you!

@pushkardhami

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

We know we’re all hurting, anxious for our children and families. This too shall pass, and we’ll rise stronger in our fight for clean air.

To those battling pollution on the ground; forest department, traffic police, sanitation & waste workers all, we see you💙

DM us if you need to talk, vent, or cry.

@dtptraffic @DelhiPolice @MCD_Delhi

#HelpUsBreathe

[Shikha Gupta @ShikhaGupt75202]

Have seen a state where Pb fires were 1lk+ & people would ask “how can smoke travel from Pb” or “what are stubble fires”. Honestly we have come a long way👇🏻 @byadavbjp @mssirsa time to focus on local sources - waste burning / transport capacity etc now @vishwamTOI @CBhattacharji

[namrata yadav @specsofgold]

No GRAP4, no health advisory - schools are waiting for you to tell them whether they should stop outdoor activities while our children wait for you to care for them ? Members of the Govt of India, Delhi Govt judiciary - do you not have children, grandchildren? #helpusbreathe

[Ruchi Angrish (She/Her/Hers) @RuchiAngrish]

@WHO @BhavreenMK @Warriormomsin @CAQM_Official The Particulate matter PM10 in Delhi is 541 ug/m3, which falls in hazardous ⚠️ category.

The current #PM10 level in #Delhi is 12.02x above the recommended @WHO guideline of 45 ug/m3.

Risk of asthma is high in this hazardous AQI levels.

#GRAP4

@CAQM_Official @MoHFW_INDIA

[Warrior Moms @Warriormomsin]

Eyes burning, throats sore, but AQI readings don’t always match what we citizens are feeling.

@kush_junglee with @timesofindia team’s spot checks found water sprinkling & sheltered monitoring sites possibly skewing air quality data.

“Are we cleaning the air or the data?” @BhavreenMK

https://t.co/tPOZAUYA1Y

@Sonal_MK @Nidhi @Smita_Sharma

[Nikhil saini @iNikhilsaini]

It wasn’t enough from the skies, now even underground water has started erupting. Once this nightmare ends, the foremost priority must be a concrete future plan for the state, else what the SC warned about Himachal may surely turn true one day.