Dehradun residents write to Gadkari, oppose Rispana–Bindal elevated road

DEhradun: Around 150 residents from Dehradun and Mussoorie in Uttarakhand feature written a alphabetic character to unification government minister for route transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, raising concerns over the proposed Rispana–Bindal Elevated Road project.The letter, signed by 146 citizens associated with the Dehradun Citizens Forum and other resident groups—including professionals, retired officials, writers, academicians, traders, social and environmental activists, and local residents—said that while the residents are not opposed to development, they have raised 21 concerns over the proposed 26-kilometre elevated corridor.They argued that Dehradun is already grappling with unplanned growth, traffic congestion and ecological stress, and that the project would aggravate environmental, geological, legal, social and economic risks rather than resolve mobility issues.The letter highlights Dehradun’s seismic vulnerability, noting that the city lies between the Main Boundary Thrust and the Himalayan Frontal Thrust and now falls under the highest seismic risk category in the updated BIS maps. It adds that the Rispana and Bindal rivers flow through loose sand, gravel and silt that could liquefy even during moderate earthquakes, threatening the stability of the elevated pillars and nearby habitations.Citing flash floods on September 15–16 this year, the residents also warned that construction over riverbeds would obstruct natural flow and heighten flood risks in low-lying areas such as IT Park, Dalanwala, Race Course and Inder Road.They also pointed to potential loss of groundwater recharge, rising urban heat, deteriorating air quality and damage to riverine ecosystems, recalling that Dehradun touched 43°C during the extreme summer of 2024.Flagging procedural lapses in the proposed project, the residents said that no Detailed Project Report (DPR), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), project maps or clear displacement data have been made public.They alleged that mandatory public hearings were conducted without proper documentation or official video recording, and that citizens raising objections faced intimidation, as reported in the media.Despite repeated attempts, Public Works Department (PWD) secretary Pankaj Kumar Pandey did not respond to calls by HT.According to the letter, nearly 3,000 families living along the riverbanks face displacement without any clear rehabilitation plan, despite decades of residence and regular payment of taxes and utility bills. Livelihoods of small shopkeepers and informal workers along the rivers would also be hit, they said.Residents have also expressed concern over the project’s escalating cost. They alleged that the estimate has already risen from ₹4,500 crore to ₹6,200 crore even before construction and could eventually touch ₹8,000–10,000 crore, calling it fiscally imprudent.As alternatives, they cited the Comprehensive Mobility Plan–2024 prepared by the Uttarakhand Metro Rail Corporation, which recommends electric buses, ropeways, better use and widening of existing roads, and pedestrian-friendly zones instead of elevated corridors.“The elevated road will not ease local traffic congestion and may instead create major bottlenecks at Mussoorie Diversion points, while offering no relief at key city intersections such as Saharanpur Chowk, Balliwala, Ballupur, Survey Chowk and Araghar. The government should focus on an alternative vision centred on blue-green corridors, river restoration, effective public transport, improved public parking, walking and cycling infrastructure, and tree buffers instead of concrete-heavy interventions,” social activist Anoop Nautiyal said.The Rispana–Bindal elevated road project proposes long corridors over Dehradun’s Rispana and Bindal rivers to ease traffic congestion and improve connectivity to Mussoorie.The plan proposes two separate elevated roadways along the riverbeds: an 11–15 km stretch over the Rispana and a 13–15 km stretch over the Bindal. Together, the corridors would span about 26 km, with the project’s estimated cost exceeding ₹6,000 crore.