By Anoop Nautiyal
In a recent 24-hour poll on the social media platform X, the idea of decongesting Dehradun and developing Gairsain as the capital of Uttarakhand resonated with 3 out of 4 respondents. A staggering 75% of the total 318 respondents felt that this would be the right approach. In stark contrast, only 17% of the respondents felt that it would be prudent to develop Dehradun as the state capital, while 9% voted for the third category of “some other idea”.
It is common sense that an issue that has befuddled successive governments in Uttarakhand cannot be decided simply through one social media poll, or even a series of similar polls held across the state. While no social media poll can be trusted for its veracity, it would be fair to at least acknowledge the overriding sentiment of most respondents. This is what deserves further consideration.
With the mayoral elections for Dehradun and 99 other Urban Local Bodies likely to be held soon, it would be prudent to once again start discussing the idea of decongesting the decaying city of Dehradun. Similar attempts have been made in the past with no significant outcomes, and 25 years after the state’s formation, Uttarakhand can only boast of having a provisional capital in the form of Dehradun and a summer capital in the form of Gairsain.
With two capitals, and its vision and imagination stuck between the 20-odd kilometres of Rispana Bridge (Vidhan Sabha), Rajpur Road (Sachivalaya), and now Raipur (Admin City), the state government seems bereft of clarity, courage, and commitment in taking a stand. It is during this season of electoral dialogue, when parties and candidates make a beeline to reach out to voters, that the idea of decongesting Dehradun can gain the required attention.
Before going any further, let me share the outcome of another recent poll that I also conducted on the same social media platform, X. This poll indicated significant dissatisfaction among Dehradun residents regarding the city’s development. Out of 512 participants who expressed their opinion in the survey, 79% believed that the city’s situation had worsened over the past 5 to 10 years.
The poll results pointed to a concerning trend, with eight out of ten respondents expressing dissatisfaction with the development in Dehradun. This suggests that despite substantial government expenditure on development schemes and projects, the apparent lack of improvement in urban management has led to public discontent. The results also emphasised an urgent need for government agencies to engage more actively with citizens to understand their concerns and expectations.
Coming back to the recent Dehradun and Gairsain poll, while keeping the earlier results in mind, developing and declaring Gairsain as the capital of Uttarakhand could serve dual purposes. First, it fulfils the aspirations and demands of the people of Uttarakhand who sacrificed their lives for the formation of the hill state. Second, it would significantly reduce the load on the creaking city of Dehradun. However, there is widespread apprehension that the nexus of governments and officials, along with their unholy alliance with the builder and contractor lobby, might end up further damaging Gairsain under the guise of “so-called development”. This apprehension was clearly visible in several comments on my Instagram post regarding the same matter.
One of the respondents chose Gairsain over Dehradun, saying, “Only once they have a sustainable model of development in place, as opposed to the current disastrous model of development, can this be considered. Otherwise, another city will be doomed, just as happened with our Doon.”
Another respondent echoed similar sentiments by stating, “First they destroyed our beautiful valley in the name of development, and now they will definitely destroy the beauty of Gairsain as well. Until they opt for a sustainable and planned model of development, nothing will change. Look at what Dehradun used to be before becoming the state capital, and what it has become now.”
A third respondent, referring to Dehradun, said, “The city where we grew up has lost its old soul. This city was not meant for apartments, malls, flyovers, and the influx of NCR population. We all see where the culture of Uttarakhand is headed now. Gairsain was always meant to be the capital, not Dehradun. Just because Netaji faces problems in shifting to Gairsain, they are destroying Dehradun. We need a more balanced approach and the understanding that we Uttarakhandis are not just in Dehradun. Let this city breathe and plan civil society with inputs from all.”
Dehradun stares at an uncertain future. Other than those who hold high positions in the government or those who benefit commercially due to business interests, the common citizen has lost almost all hope in the revival and sustainable development of Dehradun. The citizen does not understand the nuances of the clichéd language used by our political masters when they say they are balancing the economy and ecology. Neither does she relate to Uttarakhand’s first position in the nationwide Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) rankings awarded by Niti Aayog.
Watching their beloved city unravel, piece by piece, it’s truly a painful and difficult time, as most realise that the situation in Dehradun will worsen based on a “business as usual” approach in the coming times. Unless the mayoral elections can provide a platform for citizens to express their concerns and anguish, and political parties choose to respond to this frustration, Dehradun may continue to hurtle down the path of further decay. The next few days and weeks will be critical for the destiny and future of Dehradun. I can promise that I will be watching this unfold with both excitement and trepidation.
