Smart City may kill Doon tea gardens

But the picture is very different today. Water has flown under the bridge as major tea estates have disappeared or shrunk as the city developed.  Many educational institutes, factories, residential colonies and commercial hubs have appeared on those ‘once’ lush green field. 

The Sword of Damocles is hanging on the existing tea estates. Without replacing the old layer of scraped buildings in the city, the nodal agency of smart city project is eyeing on the outskirts housing lush green tea gardens. 

Mussoorie Dehradun Development Authority’s (MDDA) vice-chairman R Meenakshi Sundaram had recently said: “For smart city, it is a pre-requisite to have 250 acres of land. But MDDA, the nodal agency of smart city project, is preparing a proposal of at least 12, 00 acres, to be sent to the Centre before the deadline of December 15.” 

The land of Doon tea estate, Harbanswala, Arcadia Grant has been found suitable for developing the smart city. Many senior officials and politicians are in contact with tea estate owners and are pursuing them with final negotiations for purchasing these lands.

 

Recently, the news regarding the expulsion of 59 tea estate workers created a stir in the state. Many tea owners are mulling to switch over to other professions, as tea plantations have become risky due to scanty rain, shortage of skilled workers, less fertility of land and other reasons. The skyrocketing prices of land can lure tea estate owners to sell their property for developing smart city.  

AAP leader Anoop Nautiyal said: “When the Ministry of Urban Development guidelines for smart cities are 50/250/500 acres with 50 per cent less requirement for Himalayan states, then what is the need for a mammoth 2,000 acres smart city in Dehradun? We should not accept that 25, 000 trees, flora, fauna and the entire ecosystem are destroyed due to the greed of a few corporate, lobbies and individuals.”