Dehradun. A city once known for its peace and charm. Today, it’s becoming infamous for reckless roads and tragic accidents.
The recent horror at ONGC Crossway, where a Cargo crashed into the Innova, took six lives in an instant. The accident scene brings nightmares. Six families shattered forever. The victims were in the 20-25 age group.
Just days before, 38 people lost their lives in Almora in another horrific Bus accident.
Yet, despite these wake-up calls, the Pushkar Singh Dhami government in Dehradun seems unmoved.
The city’s nightlife is thriving, but at what cost? Bars stay open until 4 a.m., serving liquor without a second thought.
Late-night drinkers spill onto the streets, steering their vehicles with little regard for safety.
Recklessness has become the norm.
Anup Nautiyal, President of the SDC Foundation in Dehradun, called out this madness.
He posted a powerful message to the Uttarakhand administration and the police. "About 40% of two-wheeler riders in Dehradun don’t wear helmets. Almost 100% of passengers on these bikes skip helmets too,” he said.
Triple riding, kids clinging to scooters, chatting on phones while driving – it’s all there, every night.
Nautiyal’s warning is clear: Dehradun’s streets are deadly, and something must be done.
Nautiyal didn’t hold back. He directly addressed Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and the police.
“I call on the police and related departments to act with enforcement and education. Nothing is impossible,” he said. For him and many others, these recent tragedies are a wake-up call. But is anyone listening?
Nautiyal has a raised the big issue that plague Dehradun city. I also had a close shave with a scooty drivers at Nada Ki Chowki, the traffic hotspot.
It is here where hundred of students go rushing on their rented two wheelers being operated by the locals without license.
The two students without helmets came in speed from nowhere, smashed my car from the sideway. They went tilting for some distance and crashed on the sidewalks, but nothing serious happened.
Take a drive through Dehradun at night.
You’ll see liquor served freely and drivers taking risks without a care.
Late-night checkpoints? A rare sight, if they exist at all.
People whisper that even the few checks against drink-driving have stopped, possibly under pressure from higher-ups.
Meanwhile, Dehradun’s streets turn into death traps. And what does the city do? Very little.
Instead of enforcing the law, it feels like the city has surrendered to this chaos. And every time, it’s innocent lives that pay the price.
We’re talking about more than rules. This is about a broken culture, a city that glorifies lawlessness at the expense of safety.
Until strict enforcement becomes the norm – not just a one-time show – this crisis will continue.
Nautiyal’s message wasn’t a suggestion. It was a demand.
It’s time for Dehradun’s leaders to wake up.
This city can’t afford to light up for four days and then slip into darkness.
How many more lives will it take before we say, "Enough is enough"?
