Effective plan to be made for rehabilitating slum dwellers & making Dehradun slum-free: DM
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun
Dehradun district magistrate Savin Bansal said that an effective rehabilitation plan will be developed to make Dehradun slum-free. Chairing a meeting at the Rishiparna Auditorium on Sunday, he directed the Dehradun municipal commissioner to submit an updated list of all 88 slum settlements established before and after 2016 within five days.
He also asked the Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) to submit a complete report of all available land parcels that can be used for rehabilitation. Bansal said that quality of life is a fundamental right for every citizen and stressed the need to act on the vision inspired by the chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami’s intent to improve living conditions. He instructed officials from the municipal corporation and MDDA to identify land for relocating families living in informal settlements along the Rispana and Bindal riverfronts. He called on departments to coordinate and act immediately to clear slums from the riverbanks while ensuring proper rehabilitation in line with court directives.
Bansal said that slum areas must be replaced with secure, clean and affordable housing, as access to clean water, sanitation and safe shelter are essential indicators of any city’s development. He added that slum residents are an integral part of society and deserve dignified lives and urged officials to shed any mental blocks or assumptions that the task is impossible. The DM warned departments that no excuses involving land ownership, legal hurdles or jurisdiction will be accepted.
He announced that a high-level review will soon be held and made it clear that all officials concerned must now operate in action mode to fulfill the commitment of making Dehradun slum-free. He informed that the authorities have also proposed the construction of a 15-kilometre elevated four-lane corridor along the Bindal river and an 11-kilometre stretch along the Rispana. As part of the project, existing infrastructure such as power lines, high-tension cables and sewer lines within the riverbed area will be relocated.
Additional plans include the construction of retaining walls on both riverbanks, flood protection measures, environmental restoration and beautification of the rivers. Bansal said that slums are the result of past administrative apathy and lack of sensitivity and it is now the administration’s duty to rectify it by linking affected residents to livelihoods and resettling them safely.
