Canals of Dehradun in the Perspective of Engineered Marvel

The canals of Dehradun are an integral part of every Doonite’s life, serving as the basic source of our daily water supply. Dehradun’s canals, not only marvels of architecture but also engineered megastructures from the pre-independence era, remain largely unknown to many residents today, as most have been covered due to unsustainable practices by past and present governments. Those who remember the late nineties can attest to the utility of the East and West Canals. Originally constructed away from the city to enhance Dehra’s agricultural lands, these canals played a crucial role in the cultivation of the renowned Basmati rice of Dehradun. However, over time, the city has lost much of its agricultural assets, with farmers selling their land to mafias for minimal returns, resulting in the transformation of vast sugarcane fields into concrete landscapes of dust and monotonous architecture.

Despite these changes, some canals still endure in rural areas like Thano, Bhogpur, and Maldevta, though many struggle amidst open surroundings. The unchecked urban population explosion has placed immense strain on the city’s water resources, with much of the area now dependent on costly water tanks. Summers in Dehradun witness drought-like conditions as water supply diminishes, leading to reliance on water tankers provided by water mafias. It’s a stark contrast to a time when the canals were an essential aspect of daily life for all residents.

In 1758, Rani Karunawati and Raja Ajab Kunwar laid the groundwork for Uttarakhand’s first irrigation system with the Rajpur Canal, stretching from the Rispana River to the then capital of Dehradun, Nawada. Inspired by this, Guru Ram Rai of Dhamawala initiated the Jakhan Canal system to address water scarcity in the late eighteenth century. While the British engineer Cautley later modified the Rajpur Canal, the pre-engineered route credited to officials of Ram Rai remains significant. Despite their historical importance, both the Jakhan and Rajpur canals face extinction today due to government efforts to underground them for road expansion, highlighting the urgent need to reassess our living standards to preserve these invaluable heritage sites.

The 1800s marked a golden era of exploration in Dehradun, attracting figures like Pandit Nain Singh Rawat, who honed his engineering and exploration skills at The Survey of India. Native engineers in the region adopted Cautley’s methods for canal construction, with many civil engineering textbooks still referencing his techniques. In 2017, attempts by Uttarakhand’s irrigation department to revive the Jakhan and Rajpur canals using concrete and cement proved futile, underscoring the effectiveness of Cautley’s original use of sandstone from the nearby Himalayas.

The Khalanga Canal system, named after the Khalanga mountain where a significant battle between Gurkhas and the British took place in the late nineteenth century, is among the six canals in Dehradun district. Originating from the Song River in Tehri district, the Khalanga canals, now underground due to road expansion, hold the distinction of being the highest altitude canal system in Dehradun. According to Walton’s gazetteer, these canals irrigated areas near Nag Siddha and the Song River.

Dehradun, known as the city of canals, owes its prosperity to human ingenuity in harnessing its geographical conditions. Yet, these canals, hidden beneath our feet, remain unrecognized by many newcomers to the city. The unsustainable extraction of groundwater through external pumps exacerbates the looming threat of depleting natural water resources. While solutions like water harvesting and recharge systems exist, the challenge of combatting the longstanding practice of dumping solid waste into canals and rivers persists.

Many city residents, particularly immigrants, are unaware of Dehradun’s geographical constraints, including the looming specter of water scarcity not only in summers but also in winters. Addressing these challenges requires government action to both harness more water resources and preserve our heritage with sustainable practices, thereby returning Dehra to its golden age where architectural marvels were revered by all.