Sachin Pokhriyal

Engineer by Profession

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

As​ the #Uttarakhand Govt suspends 3 engineers and the construction company behind the recent, embarrassing Nanda Ki Chowki approach road collapse in #Dehradun, I ask ​CM @pushkardhami and the state govt to undertake a large scale 2 to 3 week Jan Suraksha & Infrastructure Surakhsa Abhiyan for all under construction projects across the state. ​If you believe that this is a logical demand, kindly add your voice to this public cause.

Thank you!

[Kumaon Jagran @KumaonJagran]

If Uttarakhand really has the strong land laws we keep hearing about, someone needs to explain what is happening on the ground.

Social media is flooded with real estate ads offering land across the hills. In Devprayag, local people are now raising questions over the reported plotting of 144 nali of land, around 28,900 square metres.

So what exactly do Uttarakhand’s new land laws prevent?

Is this plotting legal? Who approved it? If it is legal, under what provision? If it isn’t, what action is being taken?

Forget the hoardings and political speeches. The district administration should simply put the facts before the public.

Strong land laws mean little if people cannot see them working on the ground.

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

This evening, outside the NHAI Office, we said that destroying more than 4,000 mature trees during the monsoon to widen a road that passes through an elephant habitat reflects a deeply flawed model of development. We questioned why forests and wildlife should pay the price for the Rishikesh Bhaniawala road widening project that many commuters say is not needed. We also made it clear that we will continue to stand for the protection of our Jal, Jungle and Jamin in #Uttarakhand.

More power to us all 👍

@NHAI_Official

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Why I believe what you see in this video is fundamentally wrong at three (3) levels. This was this evening on July 4th, 2026 on the Rishikesh- Bhaniawala- Dehradun Highway. While I would very much want that NHAI addresses our citizen concerns, I appeal to you all to join me in asking that this tree cutting and road widening exercise be called off.

Thank you!

@NHAI_Official

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Across #Uttarakhand, millions of locals are anguished, anxious & angry due to countless wasted hours due to endless traffic jams. Perpetual hot spots like Kainchi Dham, Kwarab, Nainital, Mussoorie, Rishikesh & many other spots are testing their patience. I have always held the view that additional roads, tunnels, bridges, highways are not the answers for these man made woes. Ultimately, all hill towns & locations have limited bandwidth & we can't keep on loading more & even more tourists here. I know it's really tough in a country like ours but the only solution lies in regulation & imposition of carrying capacity curbs. There is no other way you can solve this.

[Sachin Pokhriyal @sachin_doon]

@Anoopnautiyal1 @pushkardhami The current government seems to have turned a blind eye towards state & its people. No systematic infrastructure development, apparently, no strategic planning for anything. You have said it correctly, each action is reactive and only for media management.

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHIEF MINISTER OF UTTARAKHAND:

Dear Mr. @pushkardhami and the people of #Uttarakhand

Mr. Chief Minister, I decided to write this thought provoking note to you directly and to the people of our state this Saturday evening. I am aware that it's next to impossible for any Chief Minister to reply but nonetheless I must do my bit for the larger good of our state of Uttarakhand.

My question is as follows: Did your government handle the recent standoff involving Nihang Sikhs in the most appropriate manner? Ideally, this question should be asked and evaluated once this impasse concludes but given what many citizens perceive as a pattern of limited public communication during adverse situations, this will be forgotten the moment this is over, thus this intervention and dialog at this moment.

While your govt & spokespersons may laud your efforts for defusing the on going crisis; there is little publicly visible evidence to suggest that the preparations for the Char Dham Yatra, or tourism & pilgrimage management more broadly, are being guided by a professional framework. Realistically, and I say this based on my years of closely observing the Yatra, there appears to be an absence of an integrated, professional planning framework at the highest levels of decision-making. If you are open minded and serious about improvements, it is this crucial gap that you and your system need to accept and work on.

Let's go back right to when the Char Dham Yatra starts. Every Yatra, the way it is positioned and communicated, appears to be largely positioned around breaking records for pilgrim arrivals. I find this outlook myopic and believe this hurts Uttarakhand dearly. Apart from this mindset and Yatra positioning outlook, it goes without saying that there is immense scope for improving systems for how the broader tourism and pilgrimage activities should be organised across the state.

To come back to the ongoing controversy; my impression is that your government has largely followed a reactive rather than proactive approach. Given the scale and landscape of the Char Dham Yatra, we require systems to anticipate and de-escalate such confrontations before they turn into viral incidents. In this case, public communication from the government could have been clearer and more timely.

This incident and many others suggest a need for an overarching strategy for conflict management on pilgrimage and tourism routes including crowd management, liaison with locals & religious groups and stronger, hyper local intelligence networks on emerging flashpoints.

At another level that is very much structural. when we all know that even if your govt does nothing, we will still get about 4 to 5 Crore Kanwariyas, 50+ lakh Char Dham Yatra pilgrims, 30+ lakhs tourists in Mussoorie/Nainital and lakhs of other guests elsewhere every year; why not establish a dedicated Uttarakhand Tourism and Pilgrimage Management Cadre comprising specialists in crowd management, carrying capacity experts and communication professionals.

It must be added that a state like Uttarkhand that has a population of 1.25 Crores gets an estimated 7 to 8 Crore pilgrims and tourists every year. This floating population is only going to increase in the coming years with the start of the Rishikesh-Karanprayag rail and construction of numerous other infra projects. Whether Uttarakhand now develops a comprehensive strategy for managing societal tensions like the ongooing one on its increasingly crowded pilgrimage and tourism corridors, is the real test going forward.

I firmly believe that the time for reactive governance is over. Uttarakhand truly deserves a framework for managing tourism, pilgrimage and social harmony. Hope you will live up to these expectations, Mr. Dhami.

My best wishes!
[email protected]

Image Courtesy : DreamGo Himalayas!

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

क्या Dehradun अपनी आखिरी सांसे गिन रहा है?

दोस्तों, आप को पता ही है कि पिछले कुछ दिनों में तमाम घटनाक्रमों ने देहरादून और उत्तराखंड की फिजा को बुरी तरह प्रभावित किया है। इससे उपजती हुई कुछ भावनाओं को एक यूट्यूब वीडियो में आप सब के साथ पेश करने की कोशिश की है। वीडियो देखिएगा, मुझे अच्छा लगेगा, लिंक कमेंट बॉक्स में।

#Dehradun
#Uttarakhand

[Maj Digvijay Singh Rawat, Kirti Chakra (Retd) @Dig_raw21]

BJP MP Ajay Bhatt writing letter to BJP CM Pushkar Dhami to stop opening of liquor shops in Kaichi Dham Uttarakhand. 👏👏

While our women are still protesting on roads in holy town of Devprayag against local sharab Mafia. Where again BJP MLA has opened up Liquor factory in Devprayag.

Devbhoomi has been made Sharabbhoomi.

Uttarakhand has become clown show!!

#uttarakhand #devprayag

[The Frustrated Indian @FrustIndian]

📄: Offer Limited Access , develop the complex , but this animalistic treatment is horrible!

And yes it’s from both sides people are not usually rationale either but the authority can’t let this continue…

Also would the gods be happy with this ?

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Where are we heading, what kind of tourism are we up-to in #Uttarakhand & #Himachal?

As a nation, people, govt at the centre and states - we really, seriously need to ask ourselves? Where are we heading, what are we up-to, how are we behaving, why no one in positions of power talks about this, does nothing about this kind of tourism? We also need to factor in the impact this is having on locals who might not be engaged in the business of tourism.

I am referring to the countless on ground reports, lived experiences, social media posts, memes, reels, news etc about the mess and mayhem in our hill stations in Uttarakhand & HP. People stuck in the cold for hours with children in tow, falling, breaking a leg or two, dancing almost in the nude, stuck in endless jams and what not.

Governments and authorities often claim to be complying with High Court or NGT carrying capacity directions by implementing registration systems but they all fall flat in the face of the "Tsunami of Thars, Boleros, Scoropis, Fortuners and Countless other SUVS". Can we sustain this tsunami or are we ready to be engulfed in this sea of human chaos? Or, God forbid, are we waiting for any mass tourism casualties or we will still be stoic, offer a lame condolence or two and get back to our Maggis, Whiskies & Butter Chickens with the perfect plastic waste laden, hilly backdrop?

Further, is this the only way we know that we will behave as a tourist in our own nation and is this is the only way in which we will manage tourism as govts, authorities & stakeholders in the business of "Atithi Devo Bhava"? If that's the case and everyone refuses to acknowledge that we have a major problem at hand, what happens to all this talk about responsible & sustainable tourism and why all of a sudden it flies in the face of the first snowfall in #Manali or #Mussoorie?

As with everything else and always, we can take this lightly and move on but let's not forget that based on projections, we will be 170 Crore Indians with very low levels of civic sense in the next 30/40 years from now. With the anticipated surge in economy, GDP, incomes, consumption, cars, 52/53 weeks hill tourism i.e all year tourism, hill highways, expressways, elevated corridors - the question to ask is, can we continue like this on our narrow, winding hills roads? Of-course; there are minor irritants and hiccups like climate, extreme weather events & disasters; but why discuss these & spoil the party for now?

PS : I don't know a single person who would say that tourism is not important for our hill economies but we seriously need to introspect and question this man made disaster on our streets, hills, valleys, rivers, mountains and towns in Uttarakhand and Himachal.

Picture Courtesy : Mint!

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Roads to Nowhere:

I was at Kishan Nagar Chowk in the heart of the city of Dehradun & wish to highlight the abysmal state of neglect after road digging

I am tagging our Chief Minister Shri @pushkardhami with the sincere hope that his social media team shows him the sorry state of roads in the capital city of Uttarakhand.

I would also like to tell him that if I was in his position, I would ensure that all hell would break loose & that the senior most officials of these utility agencies would be taken to task. They are lethargic & casual since they not accountable to anyone.

I wish to close by emphasising that this is not an issue of activism but one of coordination gaps, improved traffic management & public health and safety.

#Dehradun
#Uttarakhand

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

What a sobering read on the changes & decay of #Dehradun courtesy Alind Chauhan of the Indian Express. Summed it all up so gently & softly. Wish the govt, authorities, local businesses & people could get together to collectively reflect & resolve what we can do. Alas, this too shall likely remain a pipe dream in the unending saga of development that has become a chronic feature of Dehradun!

[Dr Gaurav Luthra 👀 doc @drgauravluthra]

Uttarakhand residents have been crying hoarse about systematic encroachment of Forest land in every district and this is one of them. Most of the forest land in and around Dehradun has encroachments by resorts, temples, masjids and farm houses of the power https://t.co/nBGByq5bs0

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Close to 150 Citizens from Dehradun and Mussoorie Write to Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, Demand Halt to Proposed Rispana–Bindal Elevated Road Project:

Close to 150 citizens from Dehradun–Mussoorie have written a letter to the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, demanding an immediate halt to the proposed 26 km Rispana–Bindal Elevated Road Project in Dehradun. In the letter, it is clearly stated that they are not opposed to development; however, Dehradun is already struggling with unplanned urban growth, severe local traffic congestion, and intense environmental stress.

Citizens are concerned that instead of providing solutions, this project will create new environmental, geological, social, and economic risks. In the letter, it is highlighted that critical issues such as Dehradun’s seismic vulnerability, flood risks along river corridors, the heat island effect, adverse impacts on groundwater recharge, and the lack of procedural transparency need to be kept in mind.

lt is emphasized that the project would lead to the displacement of thousands of families, threaten livelihoods, and impose a continuously rising cost burden that the city would have to bear for decades.

Citizens strongly believe that an elevated road will not resolve Dehradun’s local traffic problems. Instead, citizens have expressed support for alternative approaches already outlined in the government’s own Comprehensive Mobility Plan–2024. These include strengthening public transport through electric buses, ropeways, pedestrian-friendly zones, cycling tracks, and better utilization and management of existing roads.

It is hoped that Shri Nitin Gadkari will take collective voice of citizens seriously and encourage not only his own ministry but also the Uttarakhand government to adopt and advance policies focused on sustainable mobility, safe travel, and green transport.

#Dehradun
#Mussoorie
#Uttarakhand

@nitin_gadkari

[Dr Gaurav Luthra 👀 doc @drgauravluthra]

In Dehradun, there was a night sky and a stream. Now, it’s not the home I remember.
That’s the truth for most of us who grew up in the valley. https://t.co/1xSHlwF28K

[Anoop Nautiyal @Anoopnautiyal1]

Anand, totally empathise witn your observations and pain. It is bad & it gets worse. There is no sense of reflection or urgency of action. Linear projects are in fashion, with no coherence, plan or structure. Sinc solutions are critical, let me add that the starting point is a broad agreement on where we stand, where are we heading and what we really need to do. Realistically, if someone could do this, bit by bit, it could improve. Till then; Doon is RIP indeed!

@HardeepSPuri
@amitabhk87

#Dehradun
#Uttarakhand

[Sachin Pokhriyal @sachin_doon]

@DehradunPolice Good initiative! Much needed given current scenario. Much appreciated if this random testing can be implied across all colleges/ universities so that clear picture comes out.
Also, can you please declare the name of this institute

[Sachin Pokhriyal @sachin_doon]

@p_sahibsingh Sir kindly align time to visit the link road connecting Samalkha (Kapashera) to Rangpuri. It's in quite bad shape. Recently, loose aggregate was laid over the pots, but it might not hold in single rain spell. It's important road used by office-goers and this issue need attention