Uttarakhand opens Devbhoomi Rajat Jayanti Parks

Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday virtually inaugurated Devbhoomi Rajat Jayanti Parks across four districts and laid the foundation stones for various development projects from Rishikesh.

These parks were developed across nine urban local bodies in the districts of Dehradun, Haridwar, Udham Singh Nagar, and Uttarkashi.

In Dehradun district, foundation stones for seven development projects, with a total cost of about Rs 36 crore, were laid. Dhami also flagged off eight waste collection vehicles to strengthen sanitation systems within the urban local bodies.

Dhami said on the occasion of Uttarakhand’s silver jubilee, the state government resolved that the memories of the state’s formation should not be limited to mere celebrations, but should instead be reflected on the ground through tangible development work.

It was with this objective that the decision was taken to develop parks in urban areas across the state, he said while addressing a gathering.

“Places once marred by piles of garbage and overgrown bushes are now being transformed into lush, well-organised public spaces. These parks will provide excellent facilities—spaces for children to play, the elderly to take walks, women to sit and relax, and the youth to practice yoga and exercise.

He urged the urban local bodies to ensure the maintenance of these parks through public participation.

Besides infrastructure, Dhami said that priority is being given to sanitation, environmental conservation and civic amenities.

He said that all 108 urban local bodies in the state have become open-defecation-free; Rishikesh and Haridwar have received Water Plus certification; over 90 per cent of the waste in the state’s urban areas is being processed scientifically and through the disposal of legacy waste, approximately 109 acres of land have been reclaimed for reuse.

The chief minister mentioned that biogas is being produced from waste in Rudrapur and Mussoorie and over 60,000 kg of plastic have been collected along the Char Dham Yatra routes through a digital deposit-refund system.

Additionally, a sanitation action plan, worth about Rs 1,375 crore, has been prepared, which includes the establishment of 27 sewage and faecal sludge treatment plants, he said.

Furthermore, sanitation operations are being mechanised to ensure that sanitation workers do not have to work in unsafe conditions, the chief minister highlighted.

On water supply, the state government shared that under the first phase of the AMRUT scheme, 148 out of 151 approved projects have been completed, providing tap water connections to over 72,000 households. Under AMRUT 2.0, projects worth about Rs 650 crore are being implemented to provide drinking water to an additional 40,000 households and to rejuvenate water sources and ponds.

Congratulating the Rudrapur and Kashipur Municipal Corporations on being selected for national awards in the Swachh Survekshan Survey 2025-26, Dhami noted that this achievement is the result of the collective efforts of sanitation workers, municipal bodies, and the citizens themselves.