'Just one rainfall': Massive potholes come up on ₹12,000 crore Delhi-Dehradun Expressway. Watch

The ₹12,000 crore Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, built to reduce travel time between the two cities to about two hours, has come under scrutiny after a viral video showed two large potholes on the highway less than three months after it opened. The development has triggered public anger and prompted the Congress to allege large-scale corruption in the project.

The controversy gathered pace after a motorist shared a video on social media showing the gaping potholes on the 212-km expressway, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14.

In the video, the motorist said "four to five vehicles lost their balance" right in front of him because of the potholes, and claimed that at least two cars suffered bent alloy wheels after hitting them. The video also showed the damaged alloy wheel of one vehicle.

The six-lane expressway, which has brought Dehradun closer to Delhi, has been seeing heavy traffic, especially on weekends. The road has reduced travel time from the national capital to the 'Gateway of Uttarakhand' from about six hours to around two hours.

The expressway took five years to build, and the appearance of potholes just 79 days after its inauguration has drawn widespread criticism and ridicule. Entrepreneur Manu questioned the quality of construction in a post addressed to Prime Minister Modi. "It took around 5 years to build, yet it hasn't even seen its first monsoon. Look at the pathetic condition," he wrote.

Another user wrote, "Imagine paying ₹650 as toll tax while buying 20% ethanol petrol at ₹110, yet there is no guarantee of life," referring to the controversy over E20 fuel. The opposition also stepped up its attack on the BJP government, with the Congress alleging that the poor quality of construction pointed to corruption and embezzlement of funds.

The expressway, conceived as a fast and smooth link between Delhi and Dehradun, is now facing questions over construction quality after the potholes surfaced within weeks of its inauguration, even as the issue continues to draw strong reactions online and from the opposition.