One woman bluntly criticized the civic sense of commuters on the recently commissioned 213-km long, six-lane Delhi-Dehradun expressway, declaring, “Indians don’t deserve facilities.”
The woman shared a detailed video of the expressway on Instagram, claiming that it has not even been a month since the expressway was inaugurated, yet “the cistern remains damaged, people have taken it away,” she said in frustration.
She further stated that she traveled on the route just two weeks after its launch and was impressed by the cleanliness of both the road and the washrooms. However, she claimed that now the situation has completely changed.
She described the current state as “pathetic” and criticized the lack of civic feeling among the public. She said the government had left no stone unturned in providing hi-tech washrooms available to “both Western and Indian toilets”. She also mentioned that during her earlier visit, bottles filled with hand wash were placed inside the facility.
She has now claimed toilet seats were broken and even flush tanks were stolen, blaming commuters for the damage. However, the Mint could not independently verify the authenticity of these claims.
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“How do we move forward? Our thinking is to break all free facilities. It means the government will not do anything for us. If the government wants to invest money, we will not be able to afford the facilities,” she asked.
The video was shared with the caption, “Indians don’t deserve the device because we don’t use it, we abuse it. We can’t always blame the government, we have to be responsible citizens before we ask for a responsible government,” the post read.
The post received numerous reactions on social media, with several users criticizing the public’s lack of civic sense.
Here are some of the responses:
“Band karo free dena (stop free services). Paid toilets are the only answer,” wrote one user. “It’s high time we teach our children civics before it’s too late,” commented another.
“We don’t deserve good things and I don’t blame any government at all. We are the problem,” another person added. “Paid toilets are the answer to security and privatisation,” wrote another netizen.
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“Paid + valet toilets is the only ngl answer,” another person commented. “Basic civics should start in school,” another user wrote. “Paid public toilets and services only,” added another.
Key features of the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway
The 213 km Greenfield Corridor has reduced the travel time between the two cities by approximately 3.5 to 4 hours. This means that passengers can now commute between Delhi and Dehradun in just 2 to 2.5 hours compared to the earlier six-hour journey.
The corridor includes six lanes, 14 track facilities, multiple bridges, grade crossings and railway overpasses. With a speed limit of 100 km/h and six-lane access control, the project is estimated to cost approx. ₹12,000–13,000 million crowns. The highway starts near Akshardham in Delhi and stretches up to Dehradun.
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The project features an eco-friendly design and includes a 12 km elevated corridor, considered one of the longest in Asia. Another notable feature of the economic corridor are the elephant underpasses, which allow the animals to safely cross the busy route while minimizing the environmental impact.
