Dehradun, Uttarakhand – “Let’s get real. You cannot reach Mussoorie from Delhi in 2.5 hours — not today, not even after all the new highways and elevated corridors are ready.” That’s Anoop Nautiyal, founder of Social Development for Communities (SDC) Foundation, Dehradun, calling out a misleading narrative that’s spreading like wildfire on social media.
Nautiyal was responding to an Instagram post by a Delhi-based event management company with over a lakh followers, which boldly claimed that Mussoorie was now just 2.5 hours away from Delhi, thanks to the new Delhi-Dehradun expressway and the proposed Rispana and Bindal elevated roads.
“The expressway is being projected as some kind of magic carpet ride,” Nautiyal said, “but the numbers simply don’t add up. And worse, this false optimism is being used to justify irreversible ecological damage in the Doon Valley.”
Let’s break it down — realistically:
60 minutes from a central Delhi location like Greater Kailash or Model Town to Akshardham.
150 minutes (as claimed by authorities) from Akshardham to Asarodi, the entry point of Dehradun.
30 minutes to navigate city traffic to the start of the elevated corridors.
30 minutes to cross the 26 km of under-construction elevated roads — when they are eventually operational.
60 minutes more from Max Hospital/Nagal to Mussoorie along narrow, winding roads.
Add at least 60 minutes for the usual travel breaks.
Even in a best-case scenario, that’s 6.5 to 7 hours, not 2.5.
“Let’s also not forget Mussoorie’s chronic traffic jams and its limited parking infrastructure,” Nautiyal added. “One hour saved, but at what cost?”
Nautiyal has been vocal about the environmental toll of these infrastructure projects — the cutting of thousands of trees, the destruction of river systems like Rispana and Bindal, and the displacement of local residents.
“If you ask me, it’s an ecological gamble for very little gain,” he said. “We are being sold speed and convenience, but we’re paying for it with our rivers, trees, and urban resilience.”
Nautiyal urged influencers and companies to verify facts before amplifying unverified claims. “Misinformation like this not only misleads tourists, it also weakens the case for sustainable, climate-sensitive planning in Himalayan towns like Dehradun and Mussoorie,” he said.
The question remains: Is a slightly shorter drive really worth the environmental devastation it brings? Or are we sacrificing the soul of our hills for a mirage of fast travel?
As Nautiyal puts it bluntly: “Don’t fall for these glossy numbers. There’s no expressway to paradise.”
