The concept note for Dehradun Smart City is ready with the State proposing to execute the project on 316 acres of land in the first stage. Most of the trees at the proposed site – tea estate land at Shimla bye-pass- will be retained and to ensure this the authorities plan to bring in the Forest Research Institute as a consultant for the project. The Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) vice chairman and nodal officer for the Smart City project, R Meenakshi Sundaram said this while addressing the media here on Tuesday.
Sundaram said, “Initially we had planned the project on 2000 acres land. While talks with one of the land owners- Doon Tea Company (DTC) were successful, talks with the other land owner- East Hope Town Tea Company (EHTTC) were unsatisfactory so now with purchase of EHTTC land being found unfeasible, we have prepared our concept note for 1,200 acres land. As Chief Minister Harish Rawat has instructed us to execute this project in stages, the first phase of this project will be executed on 316 acre land area with the aim of developing a knowledge hub. However, our project proposal to be submitted to Housing and Urban Development Corporation limited (HUDCO) will be based on 350 acres. The corporation is expected to approve Rs 496 crore loan for this. As directed by the CM, decision on execution of the second stage using more land has been left to the government voted to office in the 2017 assembly polls.”
Sundaram said that the project concept note based on 1,200 acres land proposes development of a knowledge hub in the first phase with varied developments proposed in the later stages if approved. The proposed developments for the 1,200 acre area include establishment of non-polluting industries, creation of an artificial water body by channelisation of the monsoon flow of Asan and Tons river for ground water recharging and use as an internal waterway, development of business and service hub and construction of a small airstrip with provision for two helicopters and even an amphibious aircraft which could ferry people from here and land in the Tehri dam reservoir to facilitate development of tourism and entertainment hub. However, he clarified that the State will submit to the Central Government the concept note based on 316 acre land for execution of the first stage of the project- developing a knowledge hub. He elaborated, “Thirty six per cent of the area marked for development of knowledge hub will be allocated for higher education, research and knowledge based institutions with a 400 metres tall ‘knowledge tower’ to be constructed at the centre. Twenty per cent of the electricity used in the tower will be generated using solar panels installed on the building itself. Fifty per cent of the profits from this joint venture will be utilised on development of Dehradun old town with Gairsain, Pithoragarh, Chinyalisaud and Jageshwar also identified for development to be funded by part of the profits.”
Referring to the chief minister’s instruction on identifying alternate land for the project, Sundaram said that departmental officials had started searching for alternate land. Replying to queries regarding loss of green cover from the project he said that “at least 60 per cent of the greenery will be maintained in the project area”. He said, “At present, trees cover about 30 to 40 per cent of the 350 acre area while in our plan about 60 per cent area will be under green cover. Tea is a crop and cannot be considered green cover as provided by trees. We will hire FRI as the project consultant to maintain the green cover as we plan to maintain 90 per cent of the trees in situ. Meanwhile, we have also held talks with those opposing the project for its effect on the tea-estate workers. The talks were fruitful as we assured them that the workers will be provided homes as part of a rehabilitation package and for employment they would be given the choice of either working in plantation activity or undergoing skill upgradation at government expense,” he said.
Referring to the scope for re-development of Dehradun town Sundaram said, “Redevelopment is the main challenge facing old towns across India. Demolition and new constructions are required but for this we require the written consent of the stakeholders which is not possible in India. Most of Singapore is redeveloped but they were able to do it as there the government is the land owner not private citizens,” he added.