A video from Mussoorie has gone viral on social media after a man confronted tourists for allegedly throwing plastic waste from a moving taxi on a hill road. The clip, shared on Instagram, has earned praise from internet users for the calm and respectful way in which the situation was handled.
The video was shared by Anoop Nautiyal, founder of an environmental action and advocacy group. In the clip, the man recording the video says that they noticed passengers travelling in a taxi ahead of them throwing a plastic cup and a spoon out of the vehicle window while heading towards Mussoorie. Instead of ignoring the incident, Nautiyal decided to stop and return the waste to the tourists personally.
The video shows Nautiyal returning to his vehicle after speaking with the group. When asked whether the tourists admitted their mistake, he says they accepted it and that he politely requested them not to repeat such actions in Uttarakhand.
In the video, Nautiyal also says there is no need to embarrass anyone unnecessarily and stresses that littering is wrong everywhere, not just in Uttarakhand. He also says people should never throw waste from moving vehicles under any circumstances.
While sharing the video, Nautiyal urged travellers to help keep Uttarakhand and the rest of the country clean. “Today, on my way to Mussoorie, I couldn’t help but notice the tourists in the taxi ahead of me throwing trash out the window. I calmly went and returned their plastic waste. I also requested the female tourist not to do it again. Keep Uttarakhand clean, keep the country clean, and don’t throw garbage in public places,” he wrote.
Watch the video below:
{{/usCountry}}While sharing the video, Nautiyal urged travellers to help keep Uttarakhand and the rest of the country clean. “Today, on my way to Mussoorie, I couldn’t help but notice the tourists in the taxi ahead of me throwing trash out the window. I calmly went and returned their plastic waste. I also requested the female tourist not to do it again. Keep Uttarakhand clean, keep the country clean, and don’t throw garbage in public places,” he wrote.
Watch the video below:
{{/usCountry}}Social media reactions
The video quickly sparked reactions online, with many users praising his polite approach to addressing the issue.
“Well done Sir. I myself have done this on several occasions. Sometimes people apologise, sometimes they are indifferent and sometimes rude,” wrote one user.
“This is the right way to teach and let people realise their mistake, without hurting or using bad language,” commented another.
“This is the only way to deal with folks,” remarked a third user.
“It takes every one of us to do the same… not in anger but in kindness and with truth… thank you to this man for educating those who do not understand our India is the responsibility of each and all of us,” added another.