After two extensions in the past two years, Dehradun Smart City Limited (DSCL) is now almost nearing completion.
Dehradun is the only city in Uttarakhand selected for the Centre’s Smart City initiative in 2017, with a budget exceeding Rs 1,000 crore, funded equally by the Centre and state. Now with the project ending, residents are questioning whether the crores spent in the project have made the city any better?
“The concept was promising,” said Lokesh Ohri, a former independent director with DSCL and founder of citizens’ group, Been There Doon That.
“Projects like Paltan Bazaar façade lift could have benefited the capital. However, political interference and poor execution plagued them. Funds were squandered on efforts like wall paintings, which consumed crores but could have been better spent elsewhere.”
Since inception, several concerns were raised about the direction in which the project was headed, with residents often complaining of mismanagement, lack of coordination, and haphazard execution. “For nearly three years, the same areas were dug up repeatedly before authorities completed the work. The flag pole at Dilaram chowk installed at a cost of several lakhs remained empty for two years before a flag was hoisted. Lack of coordination and resulting public inconvenience were immense, with dust and pollution levels remaining high,” said Yesh Veer Arya, a Canal Road resident.
Residents said aside from digital boards and electric buses, there are few signs of progress. “How has Dehradun become smarter?” is a question many are asking.
Environmentalists have also raised concerns, particularly about cutting of trees for Smart City works. The tree transplantation site near Parade Ground has been dubbed a “graveyard of trees”, with many failing to survive. A spot visit by TOI revealed that the children’s play area near Tibetan Market, developed under the Smart City initiative, is in a state of neglect. While integration of CCTV cameras has aided in law enforcement, issues like traffic and parking remain largely unresolved, with many cameras non-functional.
Following central govt directives, DSCL has been granted an extension until March 2025. DSCL officials said two major projects—integrated sewerage work by the Peyjal Nigam and Green Building by the PWD—are the only ones pending. The Green Building, costing Rs 206 crore, is not expected to be finished before the end of 2025. However, the end of the project does not signal the end of DSCL. “Operational maintenance of many projects, like electric buses, will remain with Smart City for 10-15 years. State govt will decide with which department DSCL will be integrated,” said Girish Pundir, AGM of procurement and contract management at DSCL.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Tanmayee Tyagi
Quelle/Source: The Times of India, 11.08.2024
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