Dehradun Citizens Forum Sends a Letter with Citizen Signatures to the President. Appeal to Keep Rashtrapati Ashiana Free from Concrete
Dehradun
The Dehradun Citizens Forum (DCF), a collective of concerned citizens from various walks of life, has welcomed the decision to renovate the Rashtrapati Ashiana located in Dehradun and open it to the public. In a show of civic engagement, the forum has sent a letter to the President of India bearing the signatures of more than 60 individuals.
In the letter, the signatories have requested that the proposed Rashtrapati Ashiana Park be developed without cutting any trees and that it be kept free from cement and concrete construction. The letter also appeals to the President for the creation of bird and butterfly parks within the premises.
The letter describes the decision to open the 132-acre Rashtrapati Ashiana Park to the general public as a commendable step, offering citizens the opportunity to enjoy lush green spaces. However, it strongly emphasizes the need to preserve the park’s natural greenery and ecological balance during the renovation process.
It further points out that in recent years, Dehradun’s natural beauty has been significantly disrupted due to road construction, housing, and other infrastructure projects. Given Dehradun’s unique geography and ecological fragility, the region cannot sustain large-scale concretization. Unscientific and unplanned urban development has led to extensive concretization, resulting in a continuous drop in groundwater levels and rising temperatures in Dehradun.
The letter urges the President to ensure that no trees are harmed under any circumstances during the park’s re-development. Any such harm would worsen the environmental imbalance that Dehradun is already grappling with.
The forum recommends that the park’s new design be centered around nature. Existing natural trails should be retained, and the renovation should enhance them rather than replace them. The park should serve as a legacy for future generations, with a strong focus on bird and butterfly conservation.
Citing the example of the successful and popular Jabarkhet Estate in Mussoorie, the letter recommends that similar efforts be made to keep this proposed park completely free of concrete and cement. The forum also appreciated the initiative by Rashtrapati Bhavan to seek public feedback on the park’s development and expressed hope that the President’s office would seriously consider the suggestions put forth by the Dehradun Citizens Forum.
The letter has been signed by forum members Anish Lal, Anoop Nautiyal, Anup Badola, Bharti Jain, Jagmohan Mehdiratta, Lokesh Ohri, Radha Chatterjee, and Retu Chatterjee.
Prominent city residents including Ravindra Jugran, Brij Mohan Sharma, Atul Sharma, Shoorvir Singh Sajwan, Dr. V.K. Dobal, Om Prakash Sati, and Smt. Chitra Devi, among others, have also signed the letter, expressing their strong support for the initiative.
