PNS | DEHRADUN
With the beginning of the wedding season, the residents of Dehradun sounded worried about the escalation in traffic congestion and noise pollution. October marks the start of the wedding season nationwide, bringing with it festivities that often entail loud music and other celebratory elements. However, on the flip side of things, these wedding festivities pose challenges for the local residents on various fronts. In light of this, many locals have suggested the authorities implement measures regulating wedding celebrations and alleviating the hardships faced by them.
Speaking to The Pioneer on this issue, a Doon resident aged around 62 years Brij Sharma said that the wedding season brings with it a lively, fun-filled atmosphere. “We enjoy it too. But it disrupts life and brings hardships, particularly for the senior citizens like me. For instance, the wedding procession, commonly seen on the main roads, often leads to traffic congestion. It causes difficulties for all, but more for senior citizens navigating the roads while the procession passes,” he said.
Also, he highlighted the issue of noise pollution that tends to persist for a significant period during weddings. “I believe if the local authorities regulate things a little regarding the procession and the loud music that accompanies it things will be less troublesome for us,” he said, adding that the timing of wedding processions should be fixed.
Another city resident Vineet Dixit echoed the same, saying that the administration should step in a little without in any way negatively impacting the fun of wedding festivities. “The on- the- road ordeals we face during the wedding season every year is real. On my daily commute to and from work, I often encounter several wedding processions along the way and these lead to traffic bottlenecks. We perforce stay stuck and reach destinations late. Given my experiences, I may suggest the administration consider marking alternative routes for the processions during the wedding season,” he added.
The citizens vented annoyance on another count and that is the rowdyism that the inebriated members of the wedding procession often indulge in.
Asked for his view, the secretary of the Dehrdaun Mandap Keeper Association and the owner of the wedding point Alok Mittal told this correspondent that traffic congestion is not solely caused by weddings. “There are multiple causes behind the recurrent traffic congestion. As far as the administrative role in this matter is concerned, they tried this before by making registration a must for wedding processions and designating special routes for these. But their enthusiasm dampened soon and things went back to square one,” he said.
He added: “I personally see to it that the wedding does not add to the noise pollution. Besides, I see food being wasted wantonly and this ends up in a swelling dustbin. This ought to be avoided,” he said.
