Dehradun District Administration has cancelled all road-cutting permissions due to safety violations. Agencies have been directed to remove machinery within 24 hours and restore roads within 10 days to ensure public safety and smooth traffic.
Dehradun | February 8, 2026
Taking serious note of repeated violations of safety norms during road-cutting works across the city, the Dehradun District Administration has taken a major decision in the interest of public safety. All road-cutting permissions within the city limits have been cancelled with immediate effect. In addition, all office permissions issued in January through the Disaster Control Room under emergency provisions have also been revoked.
The District Administration has directed all executing agencies to remove their machinery, equipment, and construction materials from work sites within 24 hours and to restore the damaged roads to their original condition within the next 10 days.
Superintending Engineers of the Public Works Department (PWD), National Highways (NH), and other road-construction agencies have been instructed to deploy engineers on roster duty and immediately commence road repair and restoration works. All affected roads within the city are to be made safe and fully motorable within the stipulated time frame.
It has come to the notice of the District Administration that several executing agencies have been carrying out road-cutting works without adhering to prescribed safety standards. At multiple locations, essential safety measures such as barricading, warning signage, reflectors, proper lighting, and pedestrian safety arrangements were found to be missing. Furthermore, concerned departmental officers were not present at sites to supervise works and ensure compliance with safety protocols, resulting in widespread negligence by contractors.
Field inspections conducted by the District Administration’s Quick Response Team (QRT) revealed serious irregularities. Despite penalties, registration of cases, and other punitive actions taken earlier, no significant improvement was observed in the execution of works. This led to traffic disruptions, an increase in road accidents, and a heightened risk of serious mishaps and potential disasters across several parts of the city. Considering the safety of citizens as paramount, the District Administration has therefore withdrawn all road-cutting permissions.
The administration has issued a stern warning that if any road-cutting or construction activity is found to be continuing after the issuance of these orders, the machinery and construction materials of the concerned agency will be seized and strict penal action will be taken against those responsible. The Superintendent of Police (Traffic) has been directed to ensure strict enforcement of these orders.
It is noteworthy that the Project Coordination Committee, Dehradun, had earlier granted road-cutting permissions to various departments and agencies, including Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan, Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited, Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited, Uttarakhand Drinking Water Development and Construction Corporation, Dehradun Smart City Limited, UUSDA, and other concerned agencies. All such permissions have now been withdrawn in the interest of road safety, smooth traffic flow, and public convenience.
