Ramachandran, Nira

Against a backdrop of deforestation, open cast mining, unauthorised real estate development, the mushrooming hotel trade, increasing traffic congestion and pollution for India's hill resorts, in 1997, attempts were made to assess the 'carrying capacity' of Mussoorie. In a situation where the relationship between the local populace and the planning authorities was tinged with suspicion and mistrust, it was felt that a purely technical approach would not suffice.

Too often participation of project beneficiaries has been limited to the implementation stages of projects. Involvement of stakeholders at the planning stage is crucial. Based on a case study from the Himalayas, this paper analyses the differences in perception of needs/ problem areas between planners and the people, highlighting in particular the issue of gender.