Doon Valley doomed? It's an urban jungle out there

BALL IN CITIZENS' COURT: The owner of this state-of-the-art cricket stadium says he has all the permissions.

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Dehradun: The Doon Valley is an ecologically sensitive area, and on paper, it's recognised as such. But the town of Dehradun is being threatened by haphazard development and uncontrolled property boom.

The city of Dehradun lies in an ecologically sensitive zone and the land mafia is slowly taking over the Sal forests, orchards, rivers and streams of the valley.

Ex-IAF officer Air Marshal BD Jayal has been fighting with his neighbours who are bent on constructing a school academy right on a lush green forest on the riverbed.

“In my neighbourhood, I have school called G R D Academy. And they have started construction and it is adjoining the river. When we asked M D D A who the approving authority was, they gave me a letter that plan is not approved,” Jayal says.

Another resident Bunty Chopra has a cricket stadium coming up in the quiet forests right behind his house.

Chopra – who is also a member of Citizen Action Group - has even lodged a complaint with the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee but with no results.

“First they need permissions from urban housing. Then they need permissions from MOEF,” he says.

The owner of this state-of-the-art cricket stadium, Mr Eeswaran, says he has all the permissions. “I have permissions from forest department to cut the trees,” he says.

So who is responsible for this rampant destruction? “If you are building for residential purposes then I cannot deny you permissions,” says Vice Chairman, MDDA, Subroto Biswas.

While the government has turned a blind eye, the citizens of Dehradun are fighting back.