The City With The Lost Charm

The City With The Lost Charm

Naman Khanduri , student of Class IX, St. Joseph’s Academy,DehraDun

Recently, we the residents of the Doon Valley have begun to observe sudden changes in the climatic conditions of “our once a small, peaceful town” , which has now grown into a major city. This according to me is the direct consequence of the global climatic change showing its impact worldwide. It is a pain to know that this deadly phenomenon has finally gripped our beloved town.

We have noticed that this year Dehradun faced abnormally hot and dry summers. There was a time in Doon when even fans were not used by the residents of our town , but the situation today is pathetic. Life, today, is impossible without the use of air conditioners and coolers. Till the previous year, i.e. 2008, we experienced a few light showers even in May and June, but this year the summer was totally dry. Further, the monsoons always used to be in Doon by the end of June, however this year they were not here even by the middle of July. And now when the monsoons are finally here, there has been abnormally high rain, severely affecting the city’s drainage system.

The once “A clean and green town” of Dehradun has gradually transformed into a concrete jungle, with the growth of sky rising buildings and rampant deforestation for construction. The town has lost all its charm with the disappearance of all our mango and litchi orchards and the green cover that once surrounded our town. When you get out on the streets, it feels as if you are in a mini metropolis. Development has taken place, but at the cost of the environment.

Ruskin Bond has written a lot about Dehra, however it is difficult to find any similarity between “his Doon” and today’s Doon. It is now the time to react to the situation and understand our responsibility as residents of the Doon Valley. The biggest driving force, in this regard is we students. If we get together and make people around us aware about environmental changes, then surely we can expect a change in the society. Let’s now stop talking and get to work. The simplest thing to do is to plant as many trees as possible. The only thing that is needed is effort from our side and positive response from our fellow people. Let’s entrust ourselves with “eco-friendly duties” and act together to restore the old, beautiful charm of our city, the one Ruskin Bond has all talked about.

(Naman Khanduri is a student of Class IX, St. Joseph’s Academy,DehraDun. He is a great nature lover)

e-mail: namankhanduri@gmail.com.

A Day in Dehradun

A Day in Dehradun
By Naman Khanduri, Class IX-A , St. Joseph’s Academy, DehraDun

The day begins with the ringing of my alarm clock at six in the morning. I wake up, not to the lovely and blissful chirping of birds, but to the honking of cars in my street. Taking it as my regular wake up call, I take a stroll through my garden, hoping to enjoy the fresh morning air. As I step outside my house, a somewhat warm breeze, bringing along with it the stink of the rotting garbage from the nearby dump, greets me. What a fine way to begin the day with!

On my way to school, I notice youngsters taking a roller coaster ride, throwing caution to the winds as the lone policeman tries, in vain, to stop them. I feel pity for the poor fellow, after all who cares to take notice of him. Leaving all this behind, I manage to reach my class avoiding the rush at the school gate. Frequent power cuts take away, with them the studying atmosphere of the classroom leaving me with no choice but to get distracted. This combined with boring lectures in some subjects (I won’t name them), makes the fun-filled hours at school seem to be more like a punishment. Anyways, withstanding these difficulties I still manage to achieve a reasonable percentage. The last bell brings with it some relief as well as pleasure to me, but all this subsides as soon as I reach the School gate, and the same old story repeats itself again. A long queue of cars emitting poisonous smoke, which seems to look like a serpent gobbles up the fresh air and it becomes difficult to breathe.

I stagger home, exhausted. Though I have hardly used any energy, yet the polluted atmosphere seems to drain my energy away. To refresh myself, I decide to take a bath only to find that there is not even a single drop of water in the shower. What’s new in that, after all how often is the water supply regular? Grumbling, I step out of the bathroom, disappointed, wondering when the situation will improve. Evening is the time for me to go to Gandhi Park for a brief walk. Once again I notice traffic chaos on the road. Policemen are absent from their duty. Even their presence makes no difference to the rude and unruly drivers. Cyclists are constantly pushed off the road and drivers don’t seem to be aware of their presence. Reaching Gandhi Park I wonder if it is really the same place which I have known since childhood. Unfortunately, the place which was once a place for people to rejuvenate themselves, has now transformed entirely. It has turned into a lovers’ paradise and a place where rag pickers run about the pavements and drug addicts loll around. What a fall of dignity! Taking two rounds of the park, I get back home, complete my homework and go off to sleep.

In one day I get to experience all phases of city life- irregularity of the Municipal Board, traffic disorders, overcrowded public transport, lack of basic conditions of life like electricity and water and many others (it is not possible to mention all). This is my daily life in the mini metropolis of Dehradun. I curse the inefficient political leaders and their false promises that are responsible for the present condition of my town. It pains me to see how the condition of Dehradun has worsened in recent years. I face all the hardships of life every single day, and yet I say that I am proud to be a citizen of Doon. I truly remember my old Doon.

By Naman Khanduri, Class IX-A , St. Joseph’s Academy, DehraDun.

e-mail: namankhanduri@gmail.com.