Mumbai: Heavy traffic on NH-48 ahead of PM Modi's visit

Pic/Hanif Patel

A huge backlog of traffic was observed on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway on Saturday morning, with both lanes heavily congested between Versova Bridge and the new Fountain Hotel on NH-48. Activists criticized the authorities for failing to implement effective measures to ensure smooth traffic flow ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Narendra Modi's visit to Mumbai and Thane.

Sources in the traffic police of Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar police told Mid-Day that the heavy vehicles coming from the Gujarat side were not diverted by the concerned authorities in Palghar district leading to a complete choke on both arms. Above all, the ongoing white topping work on the stretch is adding problems for the commuters who are stuck in the jam for hours.

An activist Sushant Patil said that all the vehicles - heavy as well as light vehicles - have been stopped by the traffic police at Fountain Junction. "No vehicles are allowed to go to Thane on the Ghodbundar Road. Many vehicles have been stuck since morning. There are a few ambulances and school buses too are stuck in the heavy jam," Patil told Mid-Day.

"The Palghar Collector should have stopped heavy vehicles at Talasari or Manor, but no such initiative was taken by him, resultant of which commuters are facing major inconvenience on NH-48," Patil added.

"The traffic officials of MBVV police are not allowing small vehicles coming from Gujarat side to go to Thane via Fountain junction. There is a major chaos at present which will dent the image of PM. But this traffic chaos is just because of improper decisions taken by Palghar collector and MBVV police," underscored Patil, who is planning to write a letter to PMO requesting to take action against the failure of Palghar Collector and MBVV police causing hundreds of vehicles to stuck in a jam on important stretch connecting Maharashtra and Gujarat.

When contacted, Palghar Collector Govind Bodake said, "We had issued a traffic notification to divert the route of the heavy vehicles ahead of the PM visit. I am not sure if it was executed by the Palghar police or not."

The Superintendent of Palghar police Balasaheb Patil said, "We had received a clear notification that most of the heavy vehicles coming from Gujarat should be diverted from Manor to Vikramgarh to Wada and then Nashik Road sans disturbing traffic on NH-48 ahead of PM visit. Though the diversions were made this one is a small stretch, unlike Chinchoti-Bhiwandi road which is wider for heavy vehicles."

"Above all, a bridge on the Vaitarna river on the Manor-Wada stretch is extremely weak and it cannot sustain the movement of heavy vehicles. The PWD has also suggested we stop the movement of heavy vehicles, as it cannot afford the load. So, we cannot afford to divert heavy vehicles on this stretch. Hence, the heavy vehicles should have been diverted from Chinchoti Naka on NH-48 towards Bhiwandi and Chinchoti Naka falls under the jurisdiction of MBVV police," Patil told mid-day.

The Deputy Commissioner of Police (traffic) in Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police Suhas Bavche told Mid-Day that the notification was issued ahead of the PM visit. "At present, more than 100 traffic personnel have been deployed to regulate the traffic on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway," said DCP Bavche.

"The light motor vehicles are allowed to go towards Thane to make the traffic seamless. The ongoing white topping work on the stretch is adding difficulties in regulating the traffic," he added.