Recently, two incidents resulted in deaths within just four days, both attributed to delays in medical response caused by heavy traffic.
On June 9, a 40-year-old man from Nainital tragically passed away after the ambulance transporting him was trapped for hours in a traffic jam near Kainchi Dham, a well-known religious destination popular among followers of Baba Neem Karori.
Jagmohan Singh was being rushed to a Haldwani hospital after vomiting blood, but the ambulance became immobilized near Kainchi Dham, and by the time he reached the hospital, it was too late.
Doctors pronounced him dead after a journey exceeding five hours that typically takes only two, his relatives reported.
His relative, Labhanshu Pinari, stated that he could have been saved if the ambulance hadn’t been caught in the traffic.
Just four days earlier, on June 5, another elderly man from Delhi died after getting trapped in a massive traffic jam in Mussoorie while en route to the hospital.
Kamal Kishore Tandon, 62, had come to Mussoorie for a vacation when he suddenly fell ill. His family struggled to obtain timely medical assistance due to a shortage of ambulances and heavy traffic.
Despite police escorting them in their private vehicle, Tandon’s family took over an hour to cover less than 4km to the nearest medical facility in Landour, where doctors soon declared him dead, his nephew Arjun Kapoor mentioned.
These incidents have raised alarms among local residents about the government’s ability to manage the substantial influx of tourists during the summer season.
“This isn’t the first instance of fatalities linked to traffic jams in Uttarakhand. Sadly, such deaths are reported almost every tourist season, yet authorities seem unwilling to adapt.
“Immediate measures are essential to enhance emergency response and traffic management systems. Moreover, infrastructure needs to be developed to accommodate the influx of visitors and pilgrims,” asserted Prakash Dobhal, a resident of Dehradun’s Dharampur area.
Social activist Anoop Nautiyal proposed the implementation of bike ambulances as first responders.
“Bike ambulances can navigate through traffic swiftly, allowing them to reach patients quicker and potentially save valuable time during medical emergencies. The golden hour is critical,” said Nautiyal, who leads an NGO named Social Development for Communities.
“We must critically assess whether our systems can effectively respond when lives are at risk due to traffic congestion,” he emphasized.
Nautiyal also recommended addressing known traffic bottlenecks in tourist areas such as Mussoorie, Nainital, Rishikesh, Joshimath, and the Char Dham Yatra routes to minimize long delays.
“Regulation is essential to manage the traffic issues. The habit of overtaking among drivers should be curbed. Poor road conditions need immediate repairs, and stringent action must be taken against traffic rule offenders,” he advised.
“The government’s focus appears to be on attracting more tourists and devotees, but the priority should be on enhancing the infrastructure to effectively manage the influx,” Nautiyal concluded.
