Dehradun, January 21, 2026:
In a rare show of participatory democracy, the Dehradun Citizens Forum on Wednesday organised a Town Hall meeting at Doon Library, giving residents a direct platform to question top officials on burning civic issues.
Representatives from seven key departments of the district administration faced a volley of sharp, pointed queries on traffic, waste management, pollution, encroachments and urban planning.
Opening the session, Jagmohan Mehdiratta of the Dehradun Citizens Forum set the tone by highlighting what he called “chronic urban failures” — traffic congestion, illegal encroachments and the absence of a coherent parking policy.
“These problems are not new. What is missing is timely and decisive action,” he said, drawing applause from the audience.
Forum members Bharti Jain and Florence Pandhi showcased the group’s work over the past two years.
They spoke about engaging mayoral candidates on a Green Agenda, road safety drives, campaigns for women’s safety in public spaces, waste management initiatives, and advocacy for an electric crematorium.
They also referred to their letter to Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari opposing the proposed elevated road in the city.
Through a detailed PowerPoint presentation, Ramana Kumar flagged malfunctioning traffic lights, rampant footpath encroachments, traffic chaos on Sahastradhara Road and garbage dumps along roadsides and vacant plots.
“The city is choking due to poor planning and zero accountability,” he remarked.
Policy analyst and activist Anoop Nautiyal questioned the very process of city planning. “Why is public opinion never sought when master plans are prepared?
Decisions are taken by a handful of people, while elected representatives change, but citizens remain permanent stakeholders,” he said.
Officials Respond
Responding to citizens’ concerns, Transport Department official Shailesh Tiwari announced that 100 new electric buses would soon be introduced in Dehradun.
“We are also adding more Magic vehicles and e-rickshaws to strengthen last-mile connectivity,” he said.
Municipal Corporation official Dr Avinash Khanna said door-to-door waste collection was being systematised.
“We are deploying 100 new e-rickshaws exclusively for waste management to improve coverage and efficiency,” he stated.
Pollution Control Board official Dr Ankur Kansal pointed out that traffic congestion and repeated digging of roads were major pollution drivers.
“Unless we control pollution at the source, no amount of post-measures will help,” he warned.
Traffic Police officer Lalit Bora informed that scientific studies were underway to ease congestion at major intersections such as Ghantaghar, Darshan Lal Chowk and Lansdowne Chowk.
“VIP movement also contributes significantly to traffic jams,” he admitted.
MDDA official Rahul Kapoor assured support for greening the city. “If citizens provide a list of suitable plantation sites, MDDA will make all possible efforts to undertake plantation,” he said.
PWD official O.P. Singh defended the proposed elevated road project. “The idea is to segregate city traffic from through traffic. This will significantly reduce congestion in the long run,” he claimed.
Memorandum with 72 Demands
At the end of the session, citizens submitted detailed memoranda to officials — listing 12 demands for the Municipal Corporation, 10 for the Traffic Police, 11 each for PWD and MDDA, 10 for the Pollution Control Board, 9 for the Transport Department and 10 for the District Administration.
While some questions made officials visibly uncomfortable, most welcomed the feedback. “We will discuss these suggestions internally and try to implement them wherever feasible,” several officials assured.
The intense Q&A session saw active participation from residents and youth. Students from Graphic Era University’s Mass Communication Department were also present.
Participants hailed the town hall as a much-needed civic initiative. “Such dialogues should happen regularly. This is how democracy should function,” a resident remarked.
The Dehradun Citizens Forum said it plans to continue engaging authorities through similar public platforms in the future.
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