The citizens cite the data to prove their point. As per 2011 census, the rate of urbanisation in Uttarakhand was 30.6%, which is highest even in comparison with its bigger sister state of Uttar Pradesh with 22.3% and its mountain neighbour, Himachal Pradesh with 10%.
Even after 10 years down the line, urbanisation along with resultant “urban me ss" must have increased to much more higher rate, though the census data of 2021 is yet to be released.
Even the recent Swachh Survekshan-2021 also did not paint a rosy picture of Uttarakhand urban development. The six biggest cities of Uttarakhand - Dehradun, Roorkee, Haridwar, Haldwani, Kashipur and Rudrapur- are bearing a major brunt of urbanisation as more and more unemployed youth or even families are migrating from the hills to these cities for better education, health and jobs to make their both ends meet.
“It is these issues that are central to the idea and identity of Uttarakhand. These possibilities should ideally be the drivers of economic growth in Uttarakhand during the next 5, 10, 20 years”, the citizens said.
“Urbanization needs to be an integral part of manifestos of political parties for Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha 2022 elections”, said Anup Nautiyal, president, Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation, Dehradun, a civil society group doing its credible work in Uttarakhand. Foundation demands holistic overview for Urban Policy Making in Uttarakhand.
Contrasting Uttarakhand with other states, Nautiyal said based on the 2011 census, the urban population in Uttarakhand is 200 percent more than the urban population of Himachal Pradesh and 37 percent more than that of Uttar Pradesh. “This clearly indicates that we have a big challenge to develop our infrastructure according to the needs of the growing urban population in urban Uttarakhand”, he cautioned.
In the coming years, the urban pressure in Uttarakhand will increase substantially due to the Delhi-Dehradun economic corridor, Char Dham project and many other central projects, when these will come up, he said.
To prepare the cities and towns of the state for these challenges, political parties and candidates need to prepare manifestos including all components of urbanization, he said.
Nautiyal said Uttarakhand needs to look more beyond roads, drains and streetlight and start focusing on issues like Urban Resilience Plan, Sustainable Development Goals, Waste Management, Public Transport and city climate change”.
Uttarakhand is one of the states in the country where rapid urbanization is taking place. Despite this, the holistic development of urban infrastructure in the state is not happening at that pace. The mountainous terrain of Uttarakhand and the continuing challenge of unabated migration makes the issue of urbanization complex and challenging, said Nautiyal.
He said since the assembly elections are to be held in the state by February or so in 2022, it is crucial that we sensitize political parties so that they include the issues of sustainable urban development in their manifestos. Under this effort, SDC Foundation is going to launch "Uttarakhand Urban Agenda 2022" where information and suggestions to political parties on urban issues will be shared, he said.
The scourge of waste and plastic pollution is taking its toll on local ecology in most towns and cities. “It is only when stakeholders come to together and take action on the environmental issue. Citizens, particularly the young have a crucial role to play in this transformation, while the public representatives take proactive role”, said the citizens.
“We believe that apart from macro issues like unemployment, migration and inflation; the forthcoming election in Uttarakhand should discuss issues of conservation, sustainability and green growth”, said Anoop Nautuyal
Nautyal said many progressive cities of the country have now started focusing on issues like Urban Resilience Plan, Sustainable Development Goal, Waste Management, Public Transport and City Climate Change. “But we are not able to visualize the process of urbanization in Uttarakhand largely beyond roads, drains and street lights”, he observed.
He said if political parties and people's representatives move forward with the goal of sustainable development, then urban development works will get a new direction and new expansion and issues like roads, drains will automatically become a part of the above goals.
According to Foundation, the lack of sustainable urban development is a burning problem of Uttarakhand. The political parties of the state need to grasp the speed with which urbanization is taking place in Uttarakhand and need to prepare themselves for the emerging city based challenges, he said.
The political parties have turned a blind eye on this so far. “That is why sustainable urban development is not a major part of the agenda of any political party”, he said.
Nautiyal said in the coming days, SDC Foundation will issue factsheets on different urban issues. These will be based on the data of the central and state Governments. The main purpose of releasing these factsheets is that the political parties and candidates contesting the assembly elections analyze these issues and make it clear that if voted to power, then what will be their strategy on these issues,
The political scene ahs already hot up in Uttarakhand. The siting BJP government of Pushkar Singh Dhami is playing up its double engine government for inclusive growth and development of Uttarakhand, where Prime Minister Narender Modi has initiated development works worth Rs 18000 crore early this month for what he has termed as Sabka saath, Sabka Vikas for making a self-reliant Uttarakhand.
This time Uttarakhand is heading for a tripartite battle among the BJP, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party of Arvind Kejrival, Chief Minister of Delhi. Kejriwal has already thrown his hat in the ring in this Dev Bhoomi announcing freebies for the pilgrims. But so far, the parties have yet to come out with their respective manifestoes.
