Carrying Capacity of Mussoorie: Towards Establishing Benchmarks for Substainability

Carrying Capacity, within a given resource base, is the maximum rate of resource consumption and waste discharge that can be sustained indefinitely. It is a quantitative concept, involving parameters such as population (including both permanent and seasonal) and its future projection, landuse, water supply, living accommodation for population, public health services, waste disposal, education, electricity, transport, communication and so on, the optimum requirements to be projected for a reasonable quality of living level. It is, however, the resource in least supply, which provides the critical limit of Carrying Capacity and hence, of Growth. This study has adopted a participatory approach, identifying the residents’ and various interest groups’ perception and prioritization of problems. A study of Carrying Capacity so far as any hill station in India is concerned has perhaps been attempted for the first time for Mussoorie, in this book. It is hoped that it will be useful for planners, civic authorities, administrators and governments, and will stimulate similar studies and, hopefully, some action.