News · By ILA Infra · 2 min read
Dehradun's drive against drain encroachments has not started yet, October 2026: what owners near a nala should know
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun said it would clear encroachments from drains and natural water channels after the monsoon. As of 12 October 2026 it had no list of sites and had served
Where the drive stands
Pioneer Edge reported on 12 October 2026 that the Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) had not yet begun its drive against encroachments along drains and natural water channels. Municipal commissioner Alok Kumar Pandey told the paper that the rains were still on and enforcement would begin a few days after they end. He said the MCD had asked the departments concerned to identify encroachments and prepare a list of locations. Notices would be served first, and action would follow.
The paper said the corporation did not yet have a consolidated list of sites and had issued no notices. In September, the MCD had proposed a joint task force of the corporation, police, the Public Works Department and other agencies to identify and remove encroachments that block natural drainage.
Why it came up
Pioneer Edge said the issue came into focus after a drain's retaining wall and a house collapsed in Kargi Grant during heavy rain in August. Officials cited blocked natural water flow, caused by encroachments, as one of the factors that made it worse.
What it means for owners and buyers
This section is our view.
Know where the drain line really runs. In many Dehradun colonies, houses, boundary walls and ramps sit on or over a nala. Before you buy, compare the khasra map and the revenue record with what is on the ground. A wall built over a drain may be on public land even if it has been there for years.
Notices come first. The commissioner said notices would be served before any removal. If you get one, reply in writing with your sale deed, khatauni and passed map, and ask for the measurement the notice is based on. Keep copies of everything.
Drainage is also a flood question. A plot beside a blocked channel is the one that floods. Visit after heavy rain if you can, and ask neighbours about past waterlogging. Our post on Dehradun's monsoon landslides and damage and our post on Uttarakhand's flood plain zoning rules cover the wider risks.
Riverbank homes are under the same scrutiny. Our post on the Rispana flood zone notices explains what happened to houses on the Rispana's banks.
To see listings our agents have checked, browse property for sale in Dehradun on ILA Infra.
Sources
Buying or selling property in Dehradun and unsure about the paperwork? Call Neeraj Thapa on +91 98320 03494.
How we write these: the ILA Infra team reads the reports listed under Sources and links every one, so you can check each figure yourself. The section on what it means for buyers is our own view, not advice.
