Lost in chaos: Dharamsala choking on its own growth

THE Central Government’s ambitious plan to transform Dharamsala into a smart city was meant to usher in world-class infrastructure, efficient services and digital governance — all befitting the scenic capital of Himachal Pradesh.

But for anyone who has driven through its narrow, congested roads lately, that dream feels more like a mirage. Behind the rhetoric of “smart” progress lies a city struggling with unregulated traffic, chaotic parking and crumbling civic infrastructure. Which begs an obvious question, how can there be a smart city without smart traffic management?

No traffic lights, regular jams

From Kotwali Bazaar to McLeodganj, Dharamsala’s roads are a daily theatre of gridlocks. Buses, cars, two-wheelers and pedestrians jostle endlessly for space, with no traffic lights at major intersections to bring order to the madness.

“What stops the administration, planners and the police from installing basic signal systems?” ask residents, who have learned to live with chaos but refuse to accept it as normal.

Traffic lights are not luxuries, they are the very pulse of modern urban governance. Without them, the much-touted smart city vision rings hollow.

Unemployment, yet no traffic force

Adding to the irony is the near absence of a visible traffic police presence. If unemployment is a concern, why not recruit and train more personnel to manage roads?

Today, a lone constable with a whistle or a bamboo stick is the extent of Dharamsala’s traffic enforcement. Where are the handheld devices, walkie-talkies and reflective gear that define even a modestly equipped city? A professional traffic management unit would not only bring discipline but also create much-needed employment — an opportunity clearly lost in the planning process.

Parking woes

Equally troubling is Dharamsala’s parking nightmare. With no demarcated zones or enforcement policy, vehicles are parked haphazardly on pavements, roads and even in front of shops. The result: perpetual gridlock. Urban experts have long warned that a city that cannot manage where its vehicles stand can never hope to move forward. Yet, parking management seems to have fallen completely off the Smart City radar.

Smart dreams, silly groundwork

Before embracing futuristic plans drafted in Delhi, local authorities must take a hard look at the ground reality. A city cannot leap into the digital age while crawling through unmanaged traffic.

Unless Dharamsala addresses the basics such as traffic regulation, parking discipline and civic order, the Smart City project risks becoming a cautionary tale of misplaced priorities. Vision without groundwork is not development; it’s delusion.

Begin with brasstacks

If Dharamsala truly aspires to be “smart”, it must start with the essentials — clear roads, systematic parking and regulated traffic.

(The writer is a retired

senior Geological Survey of India geologist.)