Citizens stage protest to save Dol Ka Badh forest from commercial projects

India Today

In this Get Real India segment, the focus is on a youth-led green revolt in Jaipur, where citizens are protesting to save the Dol Ka Badh forest area.

Transcript

00:00Let's turn to tonight's Get Real India story from the ground.

00:03A youth-led green revolt is shaking the pink city of Jaipur.

00:08That's right.

00:09Citizens in Jaipur are up in arms against a project

00:12that will strip the city of its valuable tree cover.

00:16Acres and acres of forest land.

00:19What for?

00:21To build hotels.

00:22The citizens want to preserve what they call

00:24is the green lung of the pink city.

00:27Take a look at today's Get Real India story from Devankoor Wadhawa.

00:57A storm is brewing in Jaipur.

01:06The Save Dol Ka Bad campaign,

01:08fighting to save 2,500 trees from the axe,

01:11has exploded into a youth-driven environmental movement.

01:15Biopart! Biopart! Biopart! Biopart!

01:21Over 100 acres of dense green cover,

01:24home to over 80 species of birds

01:26and the ecologically vital Khejri trees,

01:29is now under threat.

01:33At the centre of the storm is the proposed

01:35Prime Minister Unity Mall,

01:37FinTech Park,

01:38and other commercial projects by RICO.

01:42Activists have been campaigning for almost four years

01:45in South Jaipur

01:47to save trees

01:48in the Dol Ka Bad area.

01:51Several people maintain that

01:52around 2,500 trees,

01:55more than 80 varieties or species of birds

01:57are required to be saved

01:59and that is why they have been carrying out

02:01this campaign in the Dol Ka Bad area.

02:04They maintain that

02:05the government is trying to ensure

02:07that a PM Unity Mall,

02:10hotels,

02:12FinTech Park

02:13are made in this area

02:15and that is why

02:15it is bent upon uprooting trees

02:18they consider essential.

02:19PM, Pradhan Mantri Ji,

02:21says,

02:22put a tree in the name of the name of the name of the name of the PM.

02:24The name of the PM is about half a thousand trees.

02:26If it is put a tree in the name of the millions of trees,

02:28then there are a few trees in the millions of trees.

02:32If it is put a tree in the name of the PM,

02:34it is made in the name of the PM.

02:35Our point of contention is

02:36when you have such land,

02:37when you have such a beautiful place

02:39which is already a natural forest

02:41and when government themselves are building forests

02:43like JDA is coming up with their own

02:45biodiversity park in 2025

02:47and on the other hand

02:49there is another agency,

02:50RICO,

02:50which is cutting the forest for a mall for tribals.

02:55Protesters claim that over 7 lakh people

02:57will be impacted by the project.

02:59They suggest a biodiversity park

03:02should replace the development project.

03:06If you call police brutality,

03:08harassment by police,

03:10continuous surveillance by police

03:12as a government response,

03:13definitely yes,

03:13the government has responded.

03:15But no contact from any,

03:17you know,

03:18bureaucrat,

03:19any small government officer,

03:21let alone the politicians

03:22or the ministers,

03:23has been made.

03:24We have been protesting for four years

03:26and this protest again started

03:27in the last four months.

03:28But not a single government official

03:31has cared to come and talk to us.

03:33Today is the 29th day of indefinite protest.

03:35From cycle march to candlelight,

03:40citizens are using different ways

03:43to make their voices heard.

03:44From cycle march to candlelight vigils,

04:06citizens are using different ways

04:08to make their voices heard.

04:11Despite petitions and public outrage,

04:13the silence from the authorities

04:15is deafening.

04:16But on the streets,

04:17the voice of citizens

04:18is only growing louder.

04:20Bureau Report, India Today.

Category

Transcript

Recommended