By Sunil Sonker Mussoorie, 18 Jan: The natural beauty of Mussoorie is rapidly deteriorating. Serious questions are now being raised about the large-scale uncontrolled construction in the city. A major scam is allegedly being perpetrated by the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority (MDDA) in the name of approving domestic building plans. It is alleged that commercial activities are being openly conducted in areas where plans have been approved under the residential (domestic) category, but neither the government nor the administration is paying attention to this.The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has already issued a warning regarding Mussoorie’s carrying capacity. Despite this, neither the state government nor the local administration is taking any concrete steps to save Mussoorie’s existence. The situation is such that the Mussoorie Municipal Council was previously issuing plinth certificates indiscriminately, and construction foundations are being laid based on these certificates.Local residents allege that a major scam took place during the tenure of the previous Municipal Council board in the name of issuing plinth certificates. Plinth certificates were issued in notified and forest-adjacent areas, and even on steep hillsides. Surprisingly, the Forest Department issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) without conducting on-site inspections, and the MDDA approved the building plans based on these NOCs.The process of approving building plans in Mussoorie is constantly being questioned. Social activists and environmentalists have complained to senior officials several times, but it is alleged that neither the departmental officials are willing to listen nor are the environment-related departments showing any activity.Local residents and environmental experts say that Mussoorie is being transformed into a concrete jungle. Construction is being carried out by cutting into steep and fragile hillsides. JCB machines are operating day and night, but the mining department remains silent, and the local administration has turned a blind eye. It is also alleged that officials of the Mussoorie-Dehradun Development Authority are involved in corruption and are ignoring these activities.According to the rules, construction exceeding 11 metres in height is prohibited in Mussoorie, yet despite this, taller buildings are being constructed in several places. This is not only increasing the risk of landslides but is also having a serious impact on Mussoorie’s ecology.Local residents have demanded that Mussoorie MLA and Cabinet Minister Ganesh Joshi take concrete steps to save Mussoorie. They say that the current situation suggests that the government and the minister are not taking this entire matter seriously. The people have demanded an impartial inquiry into the entire incident and strict action against those responsible. If this is not addressed in time, the day is not far when Mussoorie, the Queen of the Hills, will lose both its natural beauty and its very existence.
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