30 December,2023 06:56 AM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar Sharma
No traffic on the Mum-Ahd highway after mid-day’s coverage. Pic/Hanif Patel
The ongoing white topping work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway abruptly stopped on Friday after mid-day highlighted the mistakes of the road contractor in its cover-page article titled âNightmare on NH-48'.
The Gujarat-based infrastructure company, appointed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for the concreting of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway, acknowledged its errors that brought traffic to a standstill for nearly 36 hours. Consequently, they have ceased work until January 2.
Ashok Kumar Sharma, the general manager of Nirmal Build Infra Private Limited, decided to halt the work. However, road users still express concerns about facing similar congestion when the work resumes. Transporters and other road users are demanding the repair of service roads, which are plagued with potholes, debris, and lack of street lights. They fear these conditions might lead to mental frustration and accidents.
"We've decided to halt the concreting work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway until January 2. The traffic issues highlighted by mid-day, coupled with our own realisation of the massive inconvenience for road users, led us to stop work on Friday. We will resume only after meeting with the officials concerned (MBVV police) on Saturday (December 30)," Sharma told mid-day. "Considering the expected heavy traffic during New Year's Eve, we've paused work for now," Sharma added.
Traffic officials at Mira Bhayandar Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police were in the process of drafting a letter to the infrastructure company, likely directing them to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the police before making any decisions to redirect highway traffic to adjacent cities.
Harbans Singh Nanade, a transporter from All India Vahan Chalak Malak Mahasangh, said, "mid-day exposing the mistakes of the road contractor causing massive traffic snarls is commendable. The cover-page story was written with the public's best interests in mind. It compelled the contractor to halt work, but we hope they won't repeat the same mistake."
Nanade added, "Currently, there are no signboards or announcements informing road users about ongoing work. This frustrates road users. Before resuming development, we urge the contractor to install proper signboards and make announcements at toll plazas to alert road users about the ongoing white topping work."
"Until now, two out of three lanes were blocked for white topping, creating a bottleneck in one lane. I recommend keeping at least two lanes free for smooth traffic flow on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway as many interstate vehicles traverse this stretch daily," Nanade said.
Sanjay Hazare, senior inspector of the Mandvi police station adjacent to the highway, said, "There's currently no traffic. The contractor should seek NOC from the police department before making any decisions independently."
"Since the police and media started questioning the contractor, work has stopped. We hope such mistakes won't be repeated to avoid major traffic disruptions, which often escalate into law and order issues," Hazare added. Truck driver Imran Memon said, "It brought relief to many road users as there was zero traffic on NH-48. Thank you, mid-day."
Advocate Mahesh Champanerkar said, "The contractor had to acknowledge their mistake after the fourth pillar of democracy exposed them."
Environmental activist Smita Agarwal said, "I had to travel from Dahanu to Mumbai on Thursday, and it took me seven hours. I vividly recall the mental frustration due to bumper-to-bumper traffic, as highlighted on mid-day's cover page. It was truly a nightmare."
"It's positive that they've stopped the white topping work, but will we encounter the same congestion after January 2? What's the alternative route? Why haven't the service roads been repaired before initiating such developmental work?" wondered Agarwal.
"Passengers rushing to catch flights might miss them, and patients in ambulances might suffer if stuck in traffic. One mistake could lead to a severe humanitarian crisis on the road," Agarwal said.
Dec 30
Day meeting to be held
The police and traffic department are leaving no stone unturned to prevent the occurrence of untoward incidents this New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
Security will be beefed up at spots where there are mass gatherings as well as restaurants and at beaches. According to police data, as a part of security arrangements, 22 deputy commissioners of police, 45 assistant commissioners, 2,051 officers and 11,500 constables will be deployed across the city ahead of New Year's Day. Police personnel, including the State Reserve Police Force (SPRF) and quick response teams (QRTs), will also be present.
"Security had been beefed up. We request all the citizens to follow the law. If there are any safety concerns, citizens can call 100," said Satyanarayan Chaudhary, joint CP, law and order.
A special drive will be conducted to apprehend drunk drivers (Police officers have been provided 225 breath analysers) on the night of December 31 and strict action will be taken against those involved in eve-teasing.
Chaudhary said, "All 93 Nirbhaya squads will be active across the city, footage from 5,000 CCTV cameras near major junctions will be scrutinised to ensure the safety of citizens."
The authorities have met with the owners of restaurants and bars, and it was decided that establishments would be shut at the prescribed time.
The traffic police will deploy 40 senior police inspectors, 1,271 officers, 147 riders and 300 other officers to major junctions while 87 towing vans have been pressed into service. The traffic department would deploy huge forces on all the entry and exit points and other important locations across the city. "So far, we have registered 2,317 cases of drinking and driving," said M Ramkumar, additional CP, traffic.
Apoorva Agashe
