Where Birds No Longer Sing

Dehradun, the term itself speaks about the majestic story of its location and the process of its existence. ‘Dehra’ means home, while ‘dun’ stands for lowlands at the foot of a mountain range. It stands where the mountains begin, and plains end, endowing it with the name, gateway of Uttarakhand.

The history of Dehradun city, the winter capital of Uttarakhand, dates back to the Mahabharat era. It is claimed that it used to be the home of Dronacharya, the famed teacher of the Kuru clan. The foundation of the city, as we see it today, was laid back in the 1670s by the Sikh Guru Ram Rai when he was expelled from Punjab. Later, it was controlled by the Gurkhas until 1814 (Treaty of Sugauli), then it fell under colonial rule, and after independence, it was part of Uttar Pradesh till 2001.

However, tracing the history of the city is not our endeavour. Here we talk about the ‘Dehra’, a colloquial name our grandfather’s generation and even the 90s kids who have grown up in the city would know or have heard about.

A few decades ago, Dehra had everything one dreams of in a mountain city. It was encircled by mountains clad with lush green forests, while small rivulets carrying fresh water used to pass through it. Life used to run at a slow pace, where you could hear birds chirping in your backyard. Due to its picturesque location between two mountain ranges (the lesser Himalayas and Shivalik), the temperature never used to go beyond tolerable limits. However, when it did become hot, rain quickly came to the rescue.

Dehra has had a close association with the military since the colonial era. The military institute that has become synonymous with Doon—yes, we are talking about the Indian Military Academy (IMA)—was also established back in 1932. It is on National Highway 76, which separates its north and south campuses. A few miles to the north-east is Ghanta Ghar Chowk (Clock Tower), with six clocks. It is on the Paltan Bazaar Road in Chukkuwala, built in memory of India’s freedom fighters.

Paltan Bazaar in itself is a place of long-standing history. The word paltan translates to platoon. The bazaar was created in the 1860s to meet the everyday needs of the families and soldiers of the Sirmour and Gorkha Battalions when they were stationed here. Earlier, there used to be a village called Ghosi. Presently, it is known as Ghosi Gali. The three-kilometre stretch used to be the city’s first commercial marketplace.

About 38 km away lies the weekend gateway of Doonites, Mussoorie, with its famous Landour bakery, market, and George Everest peak. The place is on the list of every traveller who wants to explore Uttarakhand. From there, you could enjoy the majestic bird’s-eye view of the entire city.

However, with time, the city landscape has undergone a massive transformation; in the process, we have lost Dehra. The one that is left is Dehradun, or Doon. Now, to reach either of these places, one has to pass through congested roads, bustling with the cacophony of three-wheelers (Vikrams) with their drivers shouting at the top of their lungs.

If you look around, you’ll see that for a Himalayan city, it has too little foliage. The trees have nearly disappeared. Tall buildings, congested streets, and shopping complexes have taken their place. The water streams that once used to cool the city are now just spewing stench as they carry garbage and sewage. But how did it come to be?

Urban expansion

Dehradun is a glaring example of how unplanned urban expansion coupled with population growth takes its toll on a city. The draft of the Dehradun Master Plan 2041 tells us the story of urban population growth. In 1971, the urban population stood at 2,85,281, which increased by 32 per cent in 1981, reaching 3,76,819. In the coming decade, it reached 4,75,380. Again, in 2001, the city witnessed 35 per cent of population growth, with which it became 6,43,186.

After 2001, the city became the capital of the newly-born state of Uttarakhand. Two years later, the Dehradun Municipal Council was made a corporation. Though the name of the governing body changed, the population growth persisted, which led to the advent of slums.

Today, 1.57 lakh people live in 118 slums in the urban area of Dehradun. Of the 16.99 lakh people the city is home to, 55 per cent (9.3 lakh people) live in urban areas, meaning roughly 17 per cent of the urban population and 9.5 per cent of the overall population.

Rural-urban migration

A major contributing factor behind this population explosion is internal rural-urban migration. People flock to the city for better employment, health, and educational opportunities that they lack in the hilly areas. Once the people settled themselves, they brought in the rest of their families. They want their kids to be educated in the city, as it is known as India’s school capital, with over 300 schools. Even when most schools are beyond the reach of the common folks in the region.

This massive influx of people has led to overcrowding. In the process of accommodating these people, Doon’s green cover has disappeared, its streams have become gutters, and the air is no longer pure. As connectivity improves, more and more trees are facing the axe. Doon’s streets have shrunk significantly. The streets of its famous Paltan Bazar are now just a few feet apart. You could literally touch the shops on both sides if you stood in the middle with your arms stretched out. You could hardly find a place devoid of garbage.

This is what has become of Dehra, the city for which Ruskin Bond laments in his poem, “Dirge of Dehradun.”