By Sudhir K Vadehra
I had the pleasure of participating in Jansunwai, on 9 September 2025 at the Sai Baba Mandir, Rajpur Road, organised by the Uttarakhand government. Participation by the public was good, and many took the opportunity to speak out and share their views. Participants were vocal in their opposition to the elevated roadways project.
People were unanimous in their opposition to the raised highway on the Bindal and Rispana rivers. “The proposed raised highway on the rivers should not be built because it raises severe risks to the local ecology, increases flooding threats, disrupts river restoration efforts, and could displace thousands of residents without clear rehabilitation plans.” Pillars and new infrastructure over the rivers will further narrow and obstruct water flow, worsening annual monsoon flooding in surrounding neighborhoods.
Here is a story from another city – Seoul, Korea – where many raised roadways were built inside the city to take care of the so-called traffic problems. It created more problems, did not solve the traffic problem and added to the urban decay. Seoul has now closed and converted elevated roads in the city for new uses, most notably transforming highway infrastructure into public spaces and ecological corridors. The elevated Cheonggyecheon Expressway was demolished to restore the underlying Cheonggyecheon stream, creating a recreational green corridor through central Seoul. This transformation replaced the expressway and concrete decking with a revitalised stream and linear park, which improved flood control, reduced urban temperatures, and enhanced community spaces.
Another major example from Seoul is the Seoulla 7017 project, where a disused overpass adjacent to Seoul Station was converted into elevated linear park and pedestrian walkway, inspired by New York City’s High Line. The revamped “plant village” features 24,000 plants across nearly a kilometre, making it a botanical promenade with public amenities, improving lateral movement and connecting neighborhoods. Both projects have become iconic models for urban renewal, improving local ecology, and providing public recreational space.
The success of these conversions has inspired similar initiatives worldwide, demonstrating the urban, environmental, and social benefits of reimagining outdated infrastructure.
It was a good experience for me participating in a public discourse on an important issue. I wish it was a two-way discussion and not only a one-way Jansunwai, with authorities highlighting the reasons and benefits of the elevated roadway. Dehradun needs a good public transport system. Mussoorie’s carrying capacity is bursting at the seams right now and the damage done to the hill station is enormous. Frequently the tourists going to Mussoorie are stopped at Kuthal Gate as the city cannot accommodate additional tourists or their cars. Unanimous view is that an elevated roadway on the two rivers will add to the city problems and not solve anything. I overheard some discussions regarding potential corruption in these projects, where they suggested that construction companies and certain interest groups are the primary beneficiaries and not the public. I hope that is not the case here.
