From quiet valley town to bustling urban hub: residents lament Doon’s unplanned growth 

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE / Dehradun

Many of the long-time Doon residents lament the fast transformation of what was once a quiet town, known for its serenity, greenery and clean air, into a thriving urban centre witnessing unplanned expansion, shrinking green spaces and high-energy nightlife.  The quintessential Dehradun of yore is thus succumbing to the enticement of cheap modernity: this is the common refrain running through the comments of the Doonites who have seen the transformation.

For decades, the city was known for its slow-paced lifestyle, often associated with retired residents and educational institutions. However, in recent years, Dehradun has experienced rapid demographic and cultural shifts driven by population growth, over-tourism and surging presence of students and young professionals.

A resident of Vasant Vihar near ITBP Brigade, Govind Singh Sisodiya said that the change is clearly visible. “Earlier, there was hardly any nightlife in the city. Now concerts and late-evening activities have become common. Change is natural, even inevitable. We cannot resist it, but things should be better managed,” he said.

He further said that since Uttarakhand had become a state, faulty policies followed one another unendingly.    “Keeping the capital within Dehradun increased pressure on the city. Areas near the airport like Bhaniyawala could have been developed as a planned city extension, similar to the way Chandigarh expanded alongside Panchkula and Mohali. But nothing of this kind happened and Dehradun has remained at the receiving end of the cycle of policy failure,” he added.

Residents also pointed to uneven development across the city. Most commercial and cultural growth remains concentrated along Rajpur Road and Clocktower, while expansion towards peripheral areas has remained limited.

The rapid growth of educational institutions has further contributed to the city’s changing character. With lakhs of students arriving from outside, Dehradun has emerged as a thriving education hub. While appreciating this fact, residents say that the absence of a structured expansion plan has led to congestion and increasing pressure on infrastructure.

Environmental concerns are also growing as construction activities continue frenziedly, robbing the city of its green cover. 

A resident of Sahastradhara, Reenu Tomar said, “There was a time when Dehradun was peaceful and pollution-free. Now, greenery is withering away, giving way to unplanned development, damaging the environment and stripping the city of its green identity,” she rued. 

Another resident, Jagdish Chauhan highlighted the cultural shift among younger residents. “Dehradun is no longer a paradise for retired life. Cafes, nightlife and tourism have increased tremendously. Crimes are spiralling and the people are insecure.   Honestly, we are finding it difficult to adjust and adapt to these enormous changes experienced all around,” he said. 

They all say in unison that it is the government’s bounden duty to ensure that development is not allowed to ride roughshod over Dehradun’s distinctive character.