Pleasant part of Dehradun Smart City proposal is that the city will be developed as a Knowledge Hub. Under this proposal bicycle track, reviving of roads, removal of encroachment from roads, installation of street lights, etc. will be done. We welcome this decision of the Government. We believe that the service sector is most suitable for the economic development of India and the creation of the Knowledge Hub is the right action. Smart City proposal requires special attention on two related topics. The first area requiring attention is green areas of the city. According to smart city proposal, the green-field area of Dehradun has decreased from 22 percent in 2004 to 15 percent in the 2009. (See Smart City Proposal page no.9 below).
According to smart city proposal, the green-fiels area will be retrofit. It will be revived. A Survey of 29,350 people of the city has been given below in the picture. 8 percent of the peole said that development of zone 4 was necessary for development of the city. On the other hand, 67 percent of the people have given priority to zone 4 + greenfield – Tea state area (See the picture for more detail). This means that 59 percent of the people in the city are giving priority to Greenfield area.
In this background, we can see that what has been said to enhance green area in smart city proposal?
The proposal says that plantation of trees in parks will be done. Estalishment of trees on the river bank will be done the Eco Task Force separately. While this is welcome, there is not a single oint in proposal to increase the green area again from 15 to 22 percent or more as it existed earlier. If roads or houses have been constructed in the earlier green areas, then by removing them we have to re-establish the green areas. The smart city proposal is silent on this.
The second aspect is of the rivers. There are many famous rivers flowing in Dehradun. The main river is Rispanna. Today the river is virtually dry and heavily polluted. we can see the condition of the river in the accompanying photo.
The Rispanna River originates from the hills near mussoorie. These springs continue to flow today. But as soon as the water reaches Dehradun city, it is taken out from supply to the city. (See water supply report below).
For rejuvination of Rispanna, water abstraction from Rispanna should be stopped or reduced. For this, we have to search alternative water sources for supply to Dehradun. One possibility is that Ganga water from Rishikesh can be brought to Dehradun. But there is no such plan in the smart city proposal of Dehradun. This means that water of Rispanna will continue to be removes and the river will not revive.
Second reason for the drying of Rispanna is that tube wells have been dug large numbers in the area near the channel, due to which ground water level has fallen. Thus, the water in the river percolated down and the river becomes dry It is necessary that tube well should be banned in the area of 8 to 10 kilometers of the Rispanna river or its depth should be limited so that underground water table is rebuilt up. The water of the Rispanna River will flow. But the Dehradun Smart city proposal is silent on this subject.
The third problem is of encroachment on bed of the Rispanna.(See encroachment report below) slums, huts, houses and parking lots have been made in large numbers, due to which pollution takes place in the river bed. whenever water flows in the river, the water get polluted by this pollution as in osmosis process.
Rivers not only bring water, but also beautify the city. Therefore, the current plan has nothing towards beauty and green life of Dehradun. This is unfortunate because revival of the river has been written high at the fifth point, but there is no discussion of the rejivination. This means river is only getting empty talk.
If Rispanna flows, then the beauty of the city will be helpful in establishing as a knowledge hub. If the city is beautiful, people will be eger to create education and software parks here. These environment related expances should not be treated as an economic burden. it should be seen as an investment. If the city becomes pleasant and the rivers flow, greenery is established, then only we can make the city as a knowledge hub which will be benificial for all.
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