dehradun -- city planning

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SETTLEMENT STUDY 1

PRANJAL GUPTA 1100100179

DR. NATRAJ KRANTHI

20 August 2014

Settlement Study: Dehradun

Abstract

Dehradun a pre-independence educational city on the foothills of the great Himalayas

came into existence during the 15th century AD. The establishment of Rastriya Military

College in 1878 and Forest Research Institute in 1908 gave a boost in its population as

more and more number of scholars settled. It became a favorite destination for the

retired as the climate was moderate during the year. The city expanded radially and it

showed urban agglomeration consisting of Dehradun Municipal Area, Forest Research

Institute, Adhoiwala outgrowth, Dehradun Cantonment, Clement Town Cantonment

and Raipur. From two the number of educational institutes increased to more than ahundred, holding almost 70% of people attached to education in the form of

educators, students. The growth of these institutions came up more after independence

as people started investing in educational institutes in the city. Now these institutes have

growth throughout the city in pockets holding students from all over the world.

After independence few small scale industries came up which gave a boost in the

economy of Dehradun but they could not survive due to the high competitive market.

The industries that are present are out of the town thus establishing organic relationship

among Folk, Place and Work following Geddesian Traid.

Introduction

Rapid urbanization of largely agrarian societies is one of the greatest challenges facingnations of the Global South. Along with the traditional issues of human and natural

resource management, a host of new financial, social, and environmental factors

stemming from population growth, globalization, and technological change have

emerged to further complicate the difficult task of urban and development planning.

However, in many instances the ability of local governance structures to address these

dislocating changes has declined, leading to unchecked sprawl, environmental

degradation, and a steady deterioration of the quality of life in urban centers (Ghosh,

1998).

Dehradun, an Indian city nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas, presents many of

these intertwined dilemmas. Like other towns and cities across India, Dehraduns

population has increased rapidly in the years following formal Indian Independence(Census of India, 2011). Additionally, Dehradun, as the central city of the scenic Doon

Valley, has its own particular environmental challenges embedded in its distinct

geography and administrative culture stemming from its lived history. However, in both

its uniqueness and acuteness,Dehraduns struggle with the rising tide of urbanization reflects the common t rials and

tribulations of other urbanized centers in India. As an Indian city of secondary standing,

Dehradun also exemplifies the experiences of emerging urbanized areas outside of the

well-known cases of Delhi, Mumbai (Bombay), Kolkata (Calcutta), and Chennai


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SETTLEMENT STUDY 2

(Madras). Moreover, the growth pressures and fiscal constraints it faces are arguably as

great as or even greater than those of giant metropolises, and thus deserve more

coverage than the scant attention currently paid.

This paper will attempt to address some of the questions and dilemmas by first reviewing

the various urban planning challenges common to Indian urban centers and profiling

Dehradun and the Doon Valley in particular. The paper will conclude with a fewtentative points on the overall implications for the future of urban life in India.

City Profile

Dehradun is the capital city of the state of Uttarakhand in the northern part of India.

Located in the Garhwal region, it is 236 km north of India's capital New Delhi and is one

of the "Counter Magnets" of the National Capital Region (NCR) being developed as an

alternative centre of growth to help ease the migration and population explosion in the

Delhi metropolitan area. Dehradun is well linked with rail, road and air routes to all the

parts of the state and the country. Main languages spoken in the district are Hindi,

Garhwali, Sindhi, Punjabi, and Urdu.

Dehradun is at a cross road at the moment. The city, which is home to prestigiousnational institutions like the Survey of India, Oil & Natural Gas Commission, Forest

Research Institute and the like is emerging into a busy, economically active vibrant city

serving the state as a whole from its age old image of a residential and institutional

centre in the midst of peace, quiet and serene environment. Natural environment is

one of the most prized elements of this city, being situated in the beautiful Doon valley.

The demands and challenges of development and preservation of its rich natural

environment require to be met concurrently.

Topography and Natural Resources

The Doon Valley has the Himalayas to its north, the Shivalik range to its south, the sacred

river Ganga to its east and the river Yamuna to its west. The city of Dehradun issurrounded by river Song on the east, river Tons on the west, Himalaya ranges on the

north and Sal forests in the south. The Doon Valley is situated between the two most

important rivers of India i.e. Ganga and Yamuna, located in a picturesque setting.

Dehradun is surrounded by dense forest all around and number of streams and canals

dissect the city in the north-south direction. The high hills in the east and north and

Shivalik in the south give an interesting topographical setting to the city. All the hill

ranges around Dehradun (except the Shivalik) are rich in lime stone reserves. Nestled in

a wide and thickly forested valley of the Shivalik ranges, Dehradun is famous for its fruit

orchards such as leeches and mangoes. Forest products play an important role in the

economy of the Dehradun district.

Historical Background

The name Dehradun is a combination of two words "Dehra" which means Camp and

"Dun" which means valley. Its history goes back to the 17thcentury. It was annexed by

the British in 1815 and had been one of their favourite places due to its location and

climate. During the Rai days, the town became a major academic and research

centre and a base for the Indian Military Academy and the Survey of India. There are


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SETTLEMENT STUDY 3

also several prestigious boarding schools including the Doon School, India's one of the

most exclusive private school.

Historical Perspective

During the 17th century the Sikh Guru Ram Rai, who belongs to the sect of Udasi

Fakirs, took up his residence in the Dun. During the 18th century the city was invaded frequently by Sikhs and Gujjars.

From 1803 to 1814 it was under the occupation of the Gorkhas.

In April 1815, Gorkhas were ousted from Garhwal region and Garhwal was

annexed by the British. In that year the area now comprising tehsil Dehra Dun

was added to district Saharanpur.

During 1822 to 1828, new roads were developed and improvements were done

to other works of public utility. The hill stations of Mussoorie and Landour which

have been established in 1827-1829 now began to have a most beneficial effect

upon the prosperity and development of the city.

In 1825, however, it was transferred to the Kumaon Division.

In 1828, Dehra Dun and Jaunsar Bhabar were placed under the charge of aseparate Deputy Commissioner.

In 1829, the Dehra Dun district was transferred from the Kumaon Division to the

Meerut Division.

In 1842, Dun was attached to Saharanpur district and placed under an officer

subordinate to the Collector of the district but since 1871 it is being administered

as separate district.

In 1878, training college was set up for forest rangers at national level. In 1884,

the Central Government took its possession and named it as Imperial Forest

School.

In 1968 the district was taken out from Meerut division and included in the

Garhwal Division.

The growth and development of the city was further accelerated with the

establishments of two military cantonments in 1872 and 1908. The development of the

tea industry and the extended operations of the forest department, the growth of

Dehra as a cantonment and as a retreat for well-to-do pensioners, the establishment of

Chakrata, the increasing population of Mussoorie and Landour and the opening up of

the railway in 1900 have all contributed towards the great advancement in material

prosperity and development of Dehradun. During the post-independence period, the

city has registered an unprecedented growth in its population as well as area.

Establishments of large scale industries e.g. Amitabh Textile Mills ltd in 1960, Miniature

Bulb industries of India in 1958, Bengal Immunity in 1969, Doon Valley Combers in 1962,

Indian Woollen Textile Mills in 1966, Raj Narain Flour Mills in 1964 and a number of othersmall scale industries and banks have greatly triggered the growth of the city. Till 1960,

there has been no effort to channelize the haphazard growth of the city. For planning,

regulation and control of developmental activities, Dehradun Regulated Area was

declared in 1963 under the provision of UP Regulation of Building Operations Act, 1958.


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SETTLEMENT STUDY 4

Climate

The city is also referred as the 'Rainy City of India' due to continuous and incessant

rainfalls especially in monsoon. In fact 16-17 June rainfall was highest ever recorded

rainfall of 370 mm rainfall that devastated whole Uttarakhand and nearby regions.

Dehradun is Indias wettest State capital this monsoon with 2,865 mm of rainfall

between June 1 and September 30.The climate of Dehradun is humid continental, although it varies from tropical: from hot

in summers to severely cold, depending upon the season and the altitude. The nearby

hilly regions often get snowfall during winter.

Although the temperature in Dehradun can reach below freezing during severe cold

waves, this is not common. Summer temperatures can reach up to 40C for a few days,

whereas winter temperatures are usually between 1 and 20C. During the monsoon

season, there is often heavy and protracted rainfall. Dehradun and other plains areas

of Uttarakhand see almost as much rainfall as coastal Maharashtra and more than

Assam. Agriculture benefits from fertile alluvial soil, adequate drainage and plentiful

rain. Mountain areas are also used for agriculture.

Demographics

Religions in Dehradun

Religion Percent

Hindus 60%

Sikhs 25%

Muslims 10%

Jains 1.4%

Others 3.6%

As per provisional reports of Census India, population of Dehradun in 2011 was 578,420;

male and female are 303,411 and 275,009 respectively. The sex ratio of the city is 906per 1000 males.

The number of literates in Dehradun city is 463,791, of which 251,832 are males and

211,959 are females. Average literacy rate of Dehradun city is 89.32 percent, whereas

male literacy and female literacy rates are 92.65 and 85.66 percent, respectively.

The number of children of age under six in Dehradun city is 59,180 as per figure from

Census India report on 2011. There are 31,600 boys and 27,580 are girls. Child sex ratio of

girls is 873 per 1000 boys.

Education

Dehradun is home to some of India's renowned educational institutions, which include

The Doon School, Colonel Brown Cambridge School, Army School, Ann Mary School,Riverdale School, Tapovan Vidya Niketan, Convent of Jesus and Mary, Cambrian Hall,

Doon Presidency School, St. Thomas' College, Guru Nanak Academy, St. Joseph's

Academy, Brightlands School, Scholars Home, Rashtriya Indian Military College, Welham

Girls School and Welham Boys School and The Doon School. Several Indian and

international luminaries have attended these schools. There are numerous forest officials

in India who have attended the Forest Research Institute in Dehradun. It is home to


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SETTLEMENT STUDY 5

many religious schools as well. Yoga, Ayurveda and meditation have great influence in

Dehradun.

National Institute for Visually Handicapped (NIVH) plays a key role in helping the blind

people. It is the first such institute in India and the first press for Braille script in the country

which provides education and service to the blind children.

Dehradun houses organizations like the Latika Roy Foundation for people withdisabilities to access education, employment, and full inclusion in the community. It

harbours innovative organizations like the ASK Foundation working to channelize the

teaching community and to uplift the academic level of students of Dehradun.

Dehradun has institutions for engineering, medical, management and others for

purpose of higher education.

Settlement Pattern

Total population of Dehradun is 578,420 as per 2011 census. About 78% of the total

population of the district of Dehradun is distributed in the city itself. Dehradun urban

agglomeration comprise of 35% of the total population of the district and 45% of the

valley.Dehradun city along with it contiguous outgrowth form an Urban Agglomeration

consisting of Dehradun Municipal Area, Forest Research Institute, Adhoiwala outgrowth,

Dehradun Cantonment, Clement Town Cantonment and Raipur.

The city is a pre-independence educational town as the major growth and changes

occurred after the Siliguri treaty with the Britishers.

Basic geometry of Dehradun is Radial as the core of the city is its centre and rests all

disappears moving away from it. Still after 120 years of development the city lies in Class

I settlement. Around 2021 the city is expected to become a metro city according to its

growth. There are 159837 families residing in the city.

There is a natural concentric spread of the city. The industries are out of the town thus

establishing organic relationship among Folk, Place and Work following Geddesian

Traid.

Key Issues Prevailing In the City

The situation analysis of the various elements brought out key issues. The sectorial key

issues that emerged out are:

Physical Growth and the Built Environment: There are major issues of

overcrowding and haphazard growth, congestion in core city area, unexplained

changes in land uses, lack of developed land for affordable housing and non-

conforming land uses in both core city and newly developed areas. Coupled

with this, there are unmet needs of community facilities, e.g., wholesale and

local markets, slaughter houses and a range of such facilities. Degradation ofriverside and lack of public open spaces, sports and recreational facilities are

leading to an unsustainable situation.

Water Supply: Unequal distribution of water, low pressures, old dilapidated

pipelines, uncontrolled zoning and unsatisfactory operation and maintenance

requires thorough reorganization and up gradation of this sector.

Sewerage: Inadequate coverage of area under sewerage system, disposal of

raw sewage into natural water courses has rendered this sector a cause for

environmental and health concern; requires immediate intervention and a


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SETTLEMENT STUDY 6

Uttarakhand Urban Development Project careful planning with adoption of

appropriate technology to take care of environmental concerns.

Storm Water Drainage: Although the natural topography of the city helps in

gravity drainage, there are pockets of waterlogging; besides, natural drainage

courses require rehabilitation, as they are choked with disposed solid waste and

encroached upon, particularly by the urban poor. Solid Waste Management: The city has not met its mandatory obligations under

the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000 and is burdened with an inefficient

collection system, lack of environmentally sound disposal site(s) and uncontrolled

dumping at a site by a rivulet. It thus requires immediate and sustained effort to

upgrade to a full service level.

Roads and Transport: This sector perhaps is the most troubled one with annual

vehicular growth reaching an unprecedented rate of 10 percent, congestion

and lack of parking spaces are everyday problems citizens face. The extremely

narrow roads in the core city area, inadequate traffic management throughout

the city and a general lack of proper road hierarchy requires a sustained effort

over a period of time to reorganize the road sector. Public transport, which is in a

rudimentary state, also requires large scale investment to support economicactivity commensurate with the growth potential.

Urban Poor: The city has about 80 poverty pockets or slums, accommodating

about 1.2 lakh populations, registering an increase of nearly 40 percent over

1991 population. Approximately, 7.6 percent of the poor are families below

poverty line (BPL). The urban basic services in these pockets vary widely.

However, much is needed to improve overall municipal services.

Institution and Governance: Dehradun Nagar Nigam has very few functions in

the municipal domain. Unlike city corporations elsewhere in India, DNN has verylimited role to play in the citys planning, development and infrastructure

provision. In fact, solid waste management is the main function of DNN.

Conclusion

The city is expanding radially and in around 2025 will cross the bench mark of 10lac in

terms of population and becoming a metro. The city municipal corporation has a little

role in governance which will lead to improper services in the city. The capital of the

country is just 240kms away and the new project of 6 lane highway will further reduce

the distance making Dehradun an important satellite town of the country. The

educational institutes and colleges are given scope of expansion in the master plan

2025 and the city is coming up in aspects of industries and education.

The challenges faced by Dehradun, the Doon Valley, and urbanizing regions of India

are undeniably formidable. However, through greater public participation and

oversight, both for the sake of accountability and generating citizen interest in thewelfare of their city, governance structures and public campaigns can be designed to

begin tackling these issues. This will be all the more crucial as Indias urban crisis

becomes more and more synonymous with the crisis of democracy and the

environment, and hence, the crisis of modern India.


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SETTLEMENT STUDY 7

References

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Hindustan TimesSeptember 15 2000.

Uttar Pradesh, India. Activity Report 26. Arlington, Va.: Environmental Health

Project, 1996. Gantzer, C. Only Downhill for Overbuilt Mussoorie. Times of IndiaSeptember 19

1997.

Ghosh, S., and R. Nangia. Sustainable Development in the Endangered Doon

Valley. Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development. Ed. P.B. Saxena.

Dehradun, India: Surya International, 1998.

MDDA. About Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority. Mussoorie

Dehradun Development Authority, 2002. Available:

gov.ua.nic.in/MDDA/index.htm Sandhu, K. Air, water pollution in Dehradun. The TribuneDecember 27 2000.

Tiwari, D.P. Challenges in Urban Planning for local bodies in India. Map Asia

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Uniyal, M. Fleeing the Mountains. in Tough Terrain media reports on mountainissues. Kathmandu, Nepal: PANOS South Asia, 1999.

Master plan 1985-2005

Master plan 2005-2025

Urban Development Department Government of Uttarakhand City Development

Plan: Dehradun by Junnurm

dehradun -- city planning

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