PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Dehradun
The Dehradun Citizens Forum (DCF) has written yet another letter to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, opposing the proposed Rispana–Bindal Elevated Road Project. The letter is signed by 150 prominent citizens of Dehradun and Mussoorie. The DCF has stated that copies of the letter have also been sent to the Uttarakhand government, elected representatives and senior administrative officers. The objective is to ensure accountability at the State level on the serious environmental, geological, social and traffic-related concerns associated with the project, it said.
The founder of Social Development for Communities (SDC) and member of DCF Anoop Nautiyal said in the letter citizens have stated that constructing a 26-kilometre-long elevated corridor over seasonal rivers such as the Rispana and Bindal poses serious risks for the seismically sensitive city of Dehradun. “The citizens have expressed concerns about increased risks of flooding, land subsidence, reduced groundwater recharge, rising urban temperatures and deterioration of air quality. They have also pointed out that the project may shift traffic congestion to new areas rather than reducing it,’’ he said.
Nautiyal added that the letter further emphasizes that Dehradun does not need an elevated road, but a strong public transport system. Citizens have called for electric buses, improved traffic management, pedestrian and cycle-friendly infrastructure and the development of blue–green corridors along the rivers. They have noted that these alternatives are aligned with the Dehradun Comprehensive Mobility Plan–2024.
The letter has been addressed to the Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. The DCF clarified that this is not a new memorandum, but a continuation of the same citizen letter earlier sent to the Union Minister.
