Dehradun, July 19 -- Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday announced that tree- felling in the Shivalik Reserve Forest to widen the Bhaniyawala-Rishikesh road (NH-7) will remain suspended pending negotiations between the state government, environmentalists and civil society groups. "I have directed the Principal Secretary and concerned officials to once again establish detailed dialogue with all stakeholders, local citizens, public representatives and experts," said Dhami. The move came a day after Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi on Friday said in Dehradun that he would raise the issue in Parliament. The issue is pending before the Supreme Court "This project is an important infrastructure initiative of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), on which proceedings were being carried out in compliance with the directions of the Hon'ble High Court as well as all necessary statutory and environmental approvals and procedures. Keeping wildlife conservation in mind, provisions have also been made in the project for arrangements such as an approximately 3.5-kilometre-long elephant underpass and special culverts for the movement of smaller wildlife, which will help reduce incidents of human-wildlife conflict and wildlife deaths in road accidents," said Dhami "Further proceedings will be conducted with full respect for the directions and decisions of the Hon'ble High Court," he said. The proposed road widening project has triggered protests by locals, civil society groups and environmentalists. Over 4,300 trees were proposed to be felled for the project. The Rs.743-crore project, being implemented under the Hybrid Annuity Mode, will widen nearly 20 km of highway connecting Bhaniyawala with Rishikesh. According to NHAI, the upgraded corridor is expected to improve connectivity between Dehradun, the airport and Rishikesh. NHAI officials said the existing two-lane road, which traverses forest areas, carries nearly 18,500 vehicles daily and is marked by sharp curves and frequent movement of heavy vehicles. The NHAI said the forest stretch has been designed with a reduced right of way of 23 metres instead of the conventional 60 metres. Following a scientific assessment by the Forest Research Institute, 754 trees have been identified for transplantation during the ongoing monsoon season, officials said. The Congress claimed that the state government's move was a direct result of Rahul Gandhi's assurance. "During Rahul Gandhi's Dehradun visit, some protesters stopped his convoy and urged him to intervene and halt the felling. Rahul Gandhi assured them that he would raise the issue during the Parliament session. Following this, the Dhami government was forced to go on the back foot," said state Congress's Garima Mehra Dasauni. Social activist Anoop Nautiyal urged the state to shelve the project. "Such a crude road-widening project should not go ahead when there is no real requirement for it," he said....