Proposed Elevated Corridor on Rispana-Bindal
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 2 Dec: The government seems determined to construct elevated roads over the Rispana and Bindal rivers in Dehradun. However, experts have warned that, if these roads are built, they will endanger not only Dehradun but also the very stability of Mussoorie. They stressed the urgent need to halt the RBEC Project before it begins and suggested a three-level action plan to do so.
In the first edition of Dehradun Citizens Forum’s (DCF) Rispana–Bindal Knowledge Series, Pune based urban flooding and river expert, architect Sarang Yadwadkar gave a detailed presentation on the geographical profile of the two rivers and explained how the proposed construction could severely disrupt river flow and amplify flood risks. He also screened a documentary on river flooding in Pune to illustrate the dangers of encroachments and unscientific riverfront projects.
Yadwadkar highlighted that climate change has intensified in recent years, especially in the hills where cloudbursts are becoming more frequent and rainfall, though reduced in number of days, has increased in intensity. The catchment areas of the Rispana and Bindal rivers, mostly steep mountain slopes, could face devastating consequences when a cloudburst occurs. The risk is even greater because this region lies in a Seismic Zone VI. He pointed out that encroachments have already narrowed the riverbeds, and constructing pillars for a 26 km long elevated road on and along the riverbed would further obstruct water flow.
Participants expressed concerns that extensive concretisation in the heart of the city, cutting trees to make way, along with the daily movement of debris and construction material requiring hundreds of truck trips will certainly cause major environmental and health hazards for Dehradun’s residents. They also raised concerns about the government not sharing clear information about the project, forcing citizens to rely on RTI applications for even basic details.
The session was moderated by Retu Chatterjee of DCF, with closing remarks by architect Bharti Jain, who thanked all participants. DCF member Anoop Nautiyal said that the Rispana–Bindal Knowledge Series will continue with future sessions focusing on various aspects of the proposed elevated road project. The online meeting was attended by several citizens and members of DCF from Dehradun, Mussoorie, and other states, including Ajai Dayal, Dr Rakesh Kumar, Ramana, Jaya Singh, Isha, Ishita, Manuj Agarwal, Ashish Garg, Radha, Vasudha Pandey, Paramjeet Singh Kakkar, Poornima Verma, Sunil Nehru, Rahul Kohli, and Trilochan Bhatt.
