Dehradun canals refers to the heritage network of

canals Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface flow un ...

that was once spread across Dehradun in

Uttarakhand Uttarakhand ( , or ; , ), also known as Uttaranchal ( ; the official name until 2007), is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the "Devbhumi" (literally 'Land of the Gods') due to its religious significance and ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, with the earliest, Rajpur Canal, dating back to early 17th century. After the city became the state capital in 2000, rapid and unchecked road-widening schemes led to the covering, or in some cases demolition, of most of the historic canals. One of the last remaining canals was covered in 2007. Despite public protests and advisories from environmentalists about the

ecological Ecology () is the study of the relationships between living organisms, including humans, and their physical environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere level. Ecology overlaps wi ...

benefit of the canals, they were covered to make room for ever-increasing traffic. Many environmental groups have campaigned for the revival of the historic network, citing its aesthetic value and positive effects on the city's urban environment and microclimate. Currently, the

Government of Uttarakhand The Government of Uttarakhand also known as the State Government of Uttarakhand, or locally as State Government, is the subnational government of the Indian state of Uttarakhand and its 13 Districts. It consists of an executive branch, led ...

has not announced any plans of reviving or restoring the canal network.

History

The construction of the first canal, Rajpur Canal, in the early 17th century has been attributed to Rani Karnavati of Garhwal. The next phase of canal development occurred during the

British Raj The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent; * * it is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or Direct rule in India, * Quote: "Mill, who was him ...

, when the engineer

Proby Cautley Sir Proby Thomas Cautley, KCB (3 January 1802 – 25 January 1871), English engineer and palaeontologist, born in Stratford St Mary, Suffolk, is best known for conceiving and supervising the construction of the Ganges canal during East India ...

expanded five canals in the 1850s.

Significance

The canals ensured natural drainage flow of the city that prevented waterlogging, which is regularly seen in the city today. They also irrigated the paddy fields where Dehradun

basmati rice Basmati, , is a variety of long, slender-grained aromatic rice which is traditionally grown in India, Pakistan, and Nepal.

were grown. Because of the water streams criss-crossing the city, a cooler microclimate was produced. The canals that were demolished or covered include Kalapathar, Bijapur, Rajpur and Jakhan canals. Kalanga canal, being on the outskirts of the city, survives and parts of Bijapur canal are still visible.

References

External links

Uttarakhand Irrigation Department - Historic Canals
{{Dehradun, state=collapsed Dehradun Geography of Uttarakhand Canals in India Buildings and structures in Uttarakhand Buildings and structures in Dehradun History of Uttarakhand History of Dehradun Tourist attractions in Dehradun