Even before its grand opening, the Delhi–Saharanpur Expressway is making headlines for all the wrong reasons. A viral video circulating on social media shows shocking scenes of vandalism on the yet-to-be-inaugurated stretch — with streetlights broken, cameras smashed, and poles damaged.
The video, posted by Instagram user @vivekpatwaa21, alleges that this destruction is not accidental but deliberate. “People are doing it on purpose,” he claims, showing visuals of damaged infrastructure. “The road isn’t even open yet, and people have already started breaking things. Soon, all the lights and cameras will be gone.”
In the video, the content creator alleges that the destruction isn’t accidental but intentional. He says, “The government built a highway in Delhi, the Delhi–Saharanpur highway. People say cheap materials were used and the poles must have broken in the wind, and you might think that too. But that is not true. The people who come here have deliberately broken things. The road had not even been opened yet and people had already damaged it. They are doing it on purpose. I think soon all the lights on the highway will be gone and the cameras will disappear as well.”
He further expresses disappointment over the public’s behaviour and criticises the mindset behind such actions: “People are so angry with the government that they are vandalising the highway, they hate this government. This highway was built for us, so why are they burning its lights? People throw stones at the cameras. No matter which government comes, these people will not change. Do you think this will help us compete with China? I don’t think so. They will have to stop people from coming and going.”
The video has sparked outrage on social media, with users condemning the lack of civic sense. One comment read, “No basic civic sense. Government should introduce civic sense into academics.” Another added, “These roads must not be used by pedestrians or for morning walks. Absolutely no civic sense.”
Some demanded stricter action and penalties for such behaviour. A user wrote, “Belt treatment is the only solution. We have seen that politeness or logic doesn’t work with them. Singapore-like reforms are needed to uplift on a large scale.”
Another social media user said, “The Government just should not build infrastructure, but also have a mechanism to prevent any kind of vandalism and destruction to the facilities provided.”
Built by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the 210-km-long Delhi–Saharanpur Expressway is designed as a six-to-twelve-lane corridor that will connect Delhi with Dehradun, passing through Baghpat, Baraut, Shamli and Saharanpur. Once inaugurated, the expressway will significantly reduce travel time and boost connectivity between the national capital and Uttarakhand.
However, this early instance of vandalism has raised concerns about public accountability and civic discipline in India.
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