A growing population of humans and vehicles combined with the continued improper dumping of garbage has altered the very character for which Dehradun was once appreciated.

One of the few remaining signs of the canal network laid down by the British in the colonial era, the Kalanga canal is also being covered now. Barring a few small stretches of canals in rural areas, the canals which were once a prominent part of Dehradun’s environment have now been covered either with concrete slabs or pavements.

The four main canal systems in Dehradun are Bijapur, Rajpur, Kalanga and Jakhan. These canal systems were developed during the British period and are now being maintained by the State Irrigation department. The Rajpur canal system, Jakhan canal system, Kalanga canal system, and Bijapur canal system have seven, five, seven and 10 smaller canals respectively branching out from them.

In the city, these canals cover more than 50 kilometres in length. Dehradun was once known for its canals, crisscrossing the town, lending a unique ambience to the State capital. However, one by one, major stretches of most of these canals including the Dharampur canal, Kargi canal, Kanwali canal, Kaulagarh canal, East Canal and other have been covered by the department. The department has now started work on covering the Kalanga canal which is about five kilometres long from Maldevta to Raipur. While irrigation department officials state that covering the canals prevents water loss, dumping of waste in them and makes space for road widening, concerned locals and environmentalists strongly oppose this logic. Chief coordinator of Citizens For Green Doon (CFGD) Dr Nitin Pandey states that with canals in Dehradun being covered, the city has lost its identity.

Responding to the logic about the canals being covered due to factors like dumping of waste in them, he said that people also throw trash on the roads but this does not result in the roads being closed.