Roshen Dalal
Many older Dehradun residents have a nostalgia for the past, when there was more greenery, forests had not been cut and canals flowed through the city. Then, there was no rampant construction, no high-rise buildings everywhere. Today, some old names remain, we can walk down Canal Road and Eastern Canal road, yet there are no canals. On Eucalyptus Road, the once majestic Eucalyptus trees have all gone. Traffic continues to increase and jam the roads, and the newly opened Delhi- Dehradun expressway, will bring more traffic to the city. Then new elevated roads are planned, over two existing rivers, the Bindal and Rispana, which will destroy more trees, and lead to more pollution.
Having known Dehradun for over 70 years, I also have nostalgia for the once thick forests, the snow-covered mountains, the wild animals, brightly coloured birds and the wildflowers. At the same time, I realise one cannot go back. Srinagar, Garhwal has evidence of occupation in 1200 BCE. The Ashokan inscription at Kalsi is well known, dating back to the 3rd century BCE. Forests must have been really thick then, but we cannot go back to those times. So how far back would one like to go? Population expansion and the resulting environmental changes have taken place frequently in the city. One such occasion was at the time of Partition, when there was a dramatic increase in people settling in Dehradun. But of course, nothing compares to the recent deforestation and construction boom, which have made the city unrecognisable to old residents.
Even while remembering the old Dehradun, we want many of the changes that have taken place, most of which are part of the overall development of India. Mobile phones, the internet network, better hospitals and medical facilities, more educational facilities, the availability of exotic and luxury items, home delivery of everyday items, and better transport and roads , are all among the things we appreciate, and which come with an environmental cost.
As for the new expressway, anyone who has made frequent road trips between Delhi and Dehradun, where one would get delayed and stranded for various reasons, would welcome its construction, even while regretting the environmental loss. The creation of the underpass for wild animals on the expressway, is also to be commended, though more needs to be done, as travellers have observed numerous dead animals killed by the speeding traffic.
More people will reach Dehradun, but where will the increased traffic go? Elevated roads are not the answer, as though these may get visitors through Dehradun, most are headed to Mussoorie, which has very limited space and is facing its own problems of land subsidence and water shortages.
While looking back, we should realise that many things were not idyllic, even in the past. There was a time when limestone mining had denuded the mountains and immense efforts were made to stop this. Some recently wrote that there were no murders in the old days, but this too is untrue. I recall gang wars and murders of prominent people which were never solved. Our own downstairs neighbour was shot dead in his shop in Paltan Bazaar.
But the present has many more problems, and both citizens and the government need to find solutions. Can construction be limited, and city forests be created instead of parks? Delhi has city forests, why not plant some here? If one looks online, one finds that there are any number of creative people in India, with solutions to all types of problems. One person has shown how a small forest can be created in a space of just 15 by 15 square metres.
In the old days, despite the massive monsoon, the roads never flooded. Now, as it starts raining, a river begins flowing through our colony. Even without the canals, a lot of water would be absorbed if the sidewalks were not cemented and paved. Perhaps some kind of porous material can be used for these.
Then there is a garbage problem. Is removing all dustbins in the city, and focusing on door to door garbage collection, really a good way to prevent garbage being thrown everywhere? Wouldn’t it be better to have many small, elevated, garbage bins, specially designed to prevent access to dogs and monkeys? Recycling can also be promoted through these, with separate bins for paper, glass and plastic.
There is a drug and drink culture among sections of the people. In some cases it may be a phase that young people go through, but there is also a genuine lack of meaningful employment opportunities, for young and old. Can better training and employment opportunities be created?
While Dehradun as the main city in Uttarakhand has its set of problems, the mountainous regions have different ones. The Char Dham Yatra has just begun and lakhs of pilgrims will proceed on the Yatra through Rishikesh and Haridwar. But are 10 metre wide roads and new tunnels necessary along this route? There are frequent landslides as the hillsides are cut and excavated, and land subsidence has taken place in Jyotirmath and other areas. Tunnels have been blocked by debris, even while they are being constructed. As an ecologically sensitive and earthquake-prone zone, more thought needs to go into this.
Dehradun and other cities are overcrowded, yet numerous mountain villages are abandoned. The 2011 census listed 1,048 abandoned villages, while present estimates suggest at least 1,700. Hospitals, health centres and educational facilities are often non-existent in remote villages. The villages definitely need better roads and facilities, yet these have to be built understanding the nature of the land. As forests are cut, wild animal and human conflicts increase.
Once, asked about what she liked most about Dehradun, my mother responded that it was the people, who were so friendly and helpful. I too remember the helpful nature, not just of friends and neighbours, but of ordinary residents. The shopkeepers, who enquired about other family members, and urged one to take anything one wanted, and pay for them later. The auto rickshaw drivers, who knew where one lived, and gave one a lift home, refusing payment. Now with so many new residents and shops, even this aspect of Dehradun has changed. Still, one hopes that even today, the basic friendly nature of the city remains, and that people can live in harmony, without any discrimination, and also that the pristine beauty of the state can be recreated, through innovative solutions.
(A PhD in ancient Indian history, Dalal is a noted author based in Dehradun; views are personal)
