Uttarakhand Chokes Under Tourist Rush; Delhi Man Dies in Mussoorie Jam
"Gridlocked roads, delayed medical response expose glaring gaps in Uttarakhand’s emergency infrastructure during peak tourist weekend"
Mussoorie, Uttarakhand – A weekend meant for leisure turned tragic for a Delhi-based family, as massive traffic congestion across Uttarakhand’s major tourist towns led to the death of a 62-year-old man on Saturday. The deceased, identified as Kamal Kishore Tandon from Chandni Chowk, reportedly suffered a heart attack while stuck in gridlocked traffic in Mussoorie. Despite efforts from the local police and residents, the delayed emergency response cost him his life.
Popular hill stations including Mussoorie, Haridwar, and several towns in the Kumaon region witnessed an unprecedented tourist surge, paralyzing key routes. In Mussoorie, long queues of vehicles stretched across major roads such as the Mussoorie-Dehradun highway, Kincreg to Library stretch, Picture Palace, Mall Road, Motilal Nehru Road, and Academy Road. Additional congestion was reported in surrounding areas like Suwakholi, Buranskhanda, and Dhanaulti.
In Landour, traffic reportedly came to a standstill for more than 12 hours. Local traders lamented heavy business losses due to the immobility.
Meanwhile, in Haridwar, religious tourism added to the burden. The VIP Ghat and Alaknanda Tirahe areas saw vehicles crawling at less than 1 km/h. Parking lots overflowed, forcing vehicles to halt on arterial roads, further compounding the issue.
Tragic Incident
Kamal Kishore Tandon began experiencing chest pain near Library Chowk. With no ambulance in sight and the roads blocked, his family had no option but to rush him in a private vehicle. Despite local help and a police escort, it reportedly took over 40 minutes to cover just 4 km. By the time they reached a hospital in Dehradun, Mr. Tandon had passed away.
His family expressed anguish over the lack of medical preparedness in high-tourist areas. “There was no ambulance access, no coordination, no emergency lane,” a family member told Times of India. “We were stuck and helpless.”
Administrative Response & Challenges
To handle the heavy footfall, police had deployed satellite parking at Hathipaon and Kingcraig, and implemented shuttle services and one-way routes at critical choke points. However, these measures proved insufficient.
In Kumaon, more than 800 two-wheelers were turned back at Kathgodam by authorities to manage overcrowding.
Tourism officials claim that such incidents highlight the urgent need for sustainable traffic and emergency management systems. Major infrastructure projects like the ₹700 crore Mussoorie tunnel and the Dehradun-Mussoorie ropeway are under development to address these recurring issues.
The tragic demise of Kamal Kishore Tandon has raised serious concerns over the preparedness of Uttarakhand’s hill towns in managing both tourism influx and medical emergencies. With monsoon season and more tourist waves expected, experts urge the state government to fast-track long-term solutions and improve on-ground coordination.
