Citizens Action Group (CAG)
Civic issues within the town became paramount since the state of Uttarakhand became independent from Uttar Pradesh. Without an approved master plan for development there has been uncontrolled building which has eaten into the green belt. Tree cutting has reduced the town to a concrete jungle, and there are very few open spaces within the municipal boundaries. FODS has involved itself in all of this and more, by organizing a forum of well wishers and concerned citizens called “Citizens Action Group” (CAG) who only focus on civic issues related to Dehradun.
Since the (RTI) Right to Information Act 2005 has been passed, CAG has spent a lot of time dealing with the issue of public awareness and education on the use of this important legislation.
CAG has given detailed inputs & critical assessment on the city’s proposed Draft Master Plan to the MDDA and other relevant departments; held workshops for the public on the Draft Master Plan, and on Water Harvesting Techniques.
CAG spearheaded public interest litigation in the High Court in the year 2004 against the construction of a big sports stadium in the only open space within the town, as current civic amenities and infrastructure cannot support or sustain such a project. So far the unplanned construction of the said stadium has been stayed.
CAG created a Smart City initiative plan, which stimulated an intense drive during the early months of 2016, against the ecologically unsustainable SMART CITY proposal of the state government to take over the historical tea gardens of Dehradun. Press conferences, a “Dehradun Declaration” and a gathering of school children and eminent citizens to express their love for green areas were organised at various public areas to raise awareness
CAG’s latest involvement is with Rispana river restoration. Dehradun’s major rivers Bindal and Rispana from whence the supply of potable water comes, have been reduced to a trickle, with huge areas of contamination and illegal occupation of river beds taking away the rest. Data is now being gathered to assess the state of the watershed area, in the hope of restoring these pristine sources of water.
FODS has been nominated for its excellent work by the chairman of the Commission for Administrative Reforms, Uttarakhand.
What We Do
