The Government plans to relocate those living on the banks of Rispana and Bindal rivers to safer areas.
However, this task is expected to take some years by which time, skeptics point out that the number of illegal constructions along the banks of these two rivers will increase substantially. There are more than 100 unauthorised settlements in Dehradun, most of them along the banks of the Rispana and Bindal. The thousands of families living in these settlements face the risk of flood every year during the monsoon with the two rivers prone to flooding. The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun recently submitted the proposal for resettlement of slum dwellers under the Rajiv Awas Yojana to the Government.
However, considering the past record of the authorities in construction and development works, the construction of homes for slum dwellers could take some years to complete. The construction of unauthorised settlements on riverside areas in Dehradun is attributed to local politicians seeking political gains, an apathetic government and inefficient bureaucracy. Even when the settlements were unauthorised, the residents were provided electricity and water connections apart from being issued ration cards.
However, they live in unhygienic conditions in unplanned congested settlements which also experience water logging and face the threat of floods every year during the monsoon season. The Government is now working on relocating the residents of such settlements to homes slated to be built under the Rajiv Awas Yojana. Officials State that those residing in such settlements make an important contribution to the local economy so they cannot be simply removed from the areas but need to be relocated.
On the other hand, skeptics point out that the number of unauthorised constructions along the banks of the Rispana and Bindal will increase in the coming years. The authorities have failed to take effective action to control this due to factors like political interference and government inefficiency. It now remains to be seen as to how long the authorities will take to relocate the residents.