Woman throws plastic from car on Uttarakhand road, founder returns it calmly
Anoop Nautiyal confronted tourists after spotting plastic waste thrown from a car on the road to Mussoorie. The video has started a discussion on littering in hill areas and public responsibility.
A video from the road to Mussoorie in Uttarakhand, has gone viral on Instagram after a man calmly confronted a group of tourists for allegedly throwing plastic waste out of a moving taxi. The clip, shared by Anoop Nautiyal, founder of an environmental action and advocacy group, captured a quiet but firm lesson in civic sense amid the hills of Uttarakhand.
According to Nautiyal, he noticed passengers in the taxi ahead tossing a plastic cup and spoon out of the vehicle window while travelling towards Mussoorie. Instead of ignoring the incident, he decided to stop and return the waste to them personally.
In the now-viral video, the person filming points towards the taxi and says, “Yeh inhone pheka tha gaadi mein se glass aur chammach plastic ka” (“They threw this plastic cup and spoon from the car”).
Before approaching the tourists, Nautiyal says, “Aise nahi phekna chahiye. Kabhi bhi nahi phekna chahiye. Ab aawaz aise pahado mein aayegi, ab nahi phekenge yeh log” (“One should not throw things like this. Never ever. Now this voice will echo in these hills, these people will not litter again”).
Watch the video here:
The clip later shows Nautiyal returning to his car after speaking to the group. When asked if the tourists accepted their mistake, he replied, “Haan, unhone apni galti maani. Maine kaha ki Uttarakhand mein please aisa mat kariye” (“Yes, they accepted their mistake. I told them, please do not do this in Uttarakhand”).
What particularly resonated with viewers online was Nautiyal’s refusal to publicly shame the tourists despite confronting them. “Why embarrass someone unnecessarily? It is wrong no matter where you come from. This is not just about Uttarakhand, you should not throw waste from a moving car anywhere,” he says in the video.
Sharing the clip on Instagram, Nautiyal urged travellers to keep Uttarakhand and the country clean by avoiding littering in public spaces.
The video quickly drew praise online, with many users applauding the calm and respectful manner in which the issue was handled. Several people said the founder’s approach was more effective than aggressive confrontations, while others pointed out how littering in hill stations continues to remain a major concern despite repeated awareness campaigns.