Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 8 Jul: U Turn Foundation, under its Green Impact Mission, formally submitted “Operation Rispana”, a citizen dossier on the condition of the Rispana River, to the District Magistrate’s Office, Dehradun, today.
The dossier presents a citizen-led assessment of the present condition of the Rispana river system, drawing attention to key challenges including untreated sewage discharge, polluted inflows, solid waste dumping, plastic and debris burden, encroachment on the river corridor, reduced carrying capacity and broader flood-related concerns affecting Dehradun’s urban environment.
Prepared as part of U Turn Foundation’s ongoing environmental work in Uttarakhand, Operation Rispana has been developed through a structured youth research and editorial exercise involving field-linked observations, issue-based review, visual documentation and consolidation of publicly available reporting and environmental concerns associated with the river.
According to the Foundation, the purpose of the dossier is to place before the District Administration a practical, action-oriented citizens’ perspective on the condition of the Rispana, while also underlining the river’s significance for urban drainage, groundwater recharge, flood resilience, public health, ecological stability and the environmental future of Dehradun.
“The Rispana is not merely a neglected urban water channel; it is part of Dehradun’s ecological and hydrological foundation. Through Operation Rispana, we have attempted to present a citizen-backed dossier that highlights the urgency of coordinated intervention on issues such as sewage inflows, waste burden, encroachment pressure and flood vulnerability. Our objective is to support a constructive, action-oriented conversation around river restoration and urban environmental responsibility.”
The Foundation stated that the report is intended not as a symbolic document, but as a citizen contribution to district-level planning and river restoration dialogue, especially at a time when urban rivers in growing cities face increasing pressure from unmanaged waste, sewage inflows, shrinking corridor space and weak ecological protection.
The dossier has been submitted first to the District Magistrate’s Office, Dehradun and will also be presented to the Mayor as part of U Turn Foundation’s outreach under the Green Impact Mission. The Foundation has indicated that a press conference will be held shortly to present the report’s key findings, recommendations and citizen concerns in greater detail.
U Turn Foundation has urged that the condition of the Rispana be treated not as an isolated cleanliness issue but as a serious urban ecological concern requiring inter-departmental coordination, pollution control, waste management, river corridor protection and sustained public participation.
