The road reaching Kaljunthi village is empty, hope of reverse migration

Live Report from Kaljaunthi Village

Kaljaunthi village in Tehri Garhwal has been abandoned due to a lack of resources, leading to large-scale migration. However, a road is now being constructed to connect the village. While road completion and reverse migration will take time, 70-year-old Rai Chandra Singh Kandari remains hopeful. He believes that once the road is complete, tourism will increase, livelihood opportunities will develop, local products will find a market, and homestays will be promoted. He says, “If employment is available in the village, why would people stay in cities?”

Kaljaunthi is part of Kodarana Gram Panchayat under Narendra Nagar Assembly and is about 40 km from Dehradun. The route passes through Bhogpur, Kol, and Kodarana before reaching Kaljaunthi. Currently, a three-kilometer stretch from Kodarana to Kaljaunthi is a rough, steep path accessible only by bike or on foot, making travel risky. A pedestrian-friendly path from Gujarada to Kaljaunthi is around 1.5 to 2 km but involves steep inclines. Currently, road construction from Gujarada to Kaljaunthi and onward to Agarakhal is underway.

Rai Chandra Singh is delighted about this development. He believes that the seven-meter-wide road being built under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) from Gujarada to Agarakhal will revive settlement in the village.

The new 30-km bypass road from Gujarada to Agarakhal will pass through Kaljaunthi, Kharki, Diuli, Kakhil, Chald Gaon, Saldogi, and Kasamoli.

He hopes that those who migrated to cities will return, particularly those struggling with employment. Retirees and unemployed youth may also come back. The revival of homes will bring better education and healthcare facilities. The road will benefit around 5,000 people across ten Gram Sabhas from Kaljaunthi to Tinli.

With improved connectivity, tourism will flourish, local products will find a market, and transportation will become easier. Homestays will be encouraged, providing a steady source of income for villagers.

Rai Chandra Singh Kandari, a retired government officer, resides in a deserted part of Kaljaunthi village. The area, now nearly abandoned, has around seven to eight houses overtaken by wild vegetation. However, Kandari has maintained his home in a livable condition and frequently visits. Though he has built another house in Ranipokhri, his love for the village remains strong. He spends time here whenever possible, hoping that one day, those who left will return.

In another section of Kaljaunthi, only two houses remain inhabited. 78-year-old Chandan Singh Kandari, his wife Kamla Devi, his brother Puran Singh, and his wife Roshni Devi—only four people—continue to live here. Chandan Singh laments that the road is coming too late; by now, the entire village has been abandoned. Schools were far away, located in Kodarana and then Bhogpur. With no employment opportunities, people had no choice but to leave.

Kandari explains that the irrigation canals were damaged long ago, cutting off the water supply to their fields. Pointing to barren land and an abandoned mango orchard in front of his house, he recalls the days when farming flourished here. “We cultivated these lands, but now everything is barren. Agriculture and livestock rearing have come to a halt,” he says.

Elderly residents recall that Kaljaunthi once had over 200 people, but now only a handful remain. “You can see for yourself how many are left here,” they say. While the road is finally being built, doubts remain about whether those who migrated to cities will return.

“Why would they come back? Schools are still far away. Farming isn’t viable without proper water supply. There is plenty of water at the source, but how will it reach the fields? The irrigation channels have long been damaged.”

Despite repeated requests to officials for pipeline-based irrigation, nothing has been done. Even drinking water remains scarce, leaving little hope for the village’s revival.