A viral video from the hills of Mussoorie has once again triggered a nationwide conversation around civic responsibility and public cleanliness in India. The clip features social worker and foundation founder Anoop Nautiyal confronting tourists after allegedly spotting them throwing plastic waste onto a roadside while travelling through the popular hill station.
The incident, which was shared on Instagram, quickly gained traction online and drew strong reactions from viewers frustrated with littering at tourist destinations.
Man stops car after tourist allegedly throws trash on road
In the now-viral clip, Nautiyal is first seen holding a used plastic cup and spoon, claiming the items had just been tossed out of the vehicle travelling ahead of him. He then steps out of his car and approaches the tourists to return the waste and question their behaviour.
According to him, a middle-aged woman inside the vehicle was responsible for throwing the trash out of the window. He said he calmly requested the tourists not to repeat such actions in the future and urged them to respect public spaces.
The tourist reportedly accepted the litter back and appeared apologetic during the exchange.
Video goes viral on social media
The Instagram post, uploaded by Anoop Nautiyal, has already crossed more than 262,000 views within days. Social media users flooded the comments section with criticism over the incident and broader concerns about cleanliness in public places across the country.
“Today, while traveling to Mussoorie, I couldn't simply stand by when tourists in the taxi ahead threw their trash out of the window. I calmly approached them and handed their plastic waste back to them. Additionally, I requested the female tourist not to do such things in the future. Let us keep Uttarakhand clean, keep the country clean, and refrain from littering in public places,” the post read.
Many users expressed disappointment over the lack of civic awareness among tourists.
“Indians do not even consider the country their own home. That is why such things are happening,” one user wrote.
“Why do tourists always act like this? Do they openly litter their homes as well?” another commented.
“That is why India is such a gone case of a country. People here hardly have any civic sense,” another user added.
Debate over civic sense and education
The video also reignited discussions around whether civic responsibility is adequately taught in schools and homes.
“Civic Sense is not a subject in our education system. We were busy learning about the Mughal period, British Period, and the independence struggle. Living in nostalgia is a typical thing in our country. We need subjects teaching life skills and social skills,” a user commented online.
Experts and environmental groups have repeatedly warned that littering in hill stations and tourist-heavy regions contributes to pollution, damages ecosystems, and affects local communities dependent on tourism. States like Uttarakhand have also launched multiple cleanliness campaigns in recent years to tackle increasing waste in popular travel destinations.
