Naigaon residents stage protest on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway over poor condition of road

Naigaon residents stage a protest on Wednesday

Naigaon residents on Wednesday held a protest on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway to highlight the poor condition of the road. They said crater-sized potholes around 100 metres away from Versova bridge turns the 10-km distance from Vasai industrial area to Fountain Hotel into a 3-4 hour drive.

Protesters along with members of Bhoomiputra Foundation, a non-profit organisation, alleged that as no action has been taken to fill the potholes despite several complaints from them, they had no option but to protest. Locals alleged that the condition worsened due to the rainfall over the past couple of days.

Bhoomiputra Foundation chief Sushant Patil, Congress leader Vijay Patil, former sarpanch Narayan Mhaske, Palghar Collector Govind Bodke, MP Rajendra Gavit and a representative from the National Highways Authority of India were present at the site.

Potholes dot the road near the Versova bridge

The foundation chief said, "Travelling on this highway has become worse. We have to wait for 3-4 hours to cover a distance of as little as 10 km. The huge potholes also pose a risk to motorists and have also increased the number of accidents here."

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Patil added that they brought some big potholes to the notice of the authorities during the protest and added, "We have been given assurances several times that the pothole will be filled, but nothing has happened so far."

MP Gavit, after inspecting the area, requested the NHAI official to not collect toll till the road is repaired. Locals, however, added that plazas continued to collect toll on Thursday.

Sameer Shah, who owns a factory in Vasai industrial area, told mid-day, "Around 100 metres away from Versova bridge, it is difficult to tell if it's a road or a pit. The recent spell of rain has filled these potholes, making it even worse. People travelling on both Mumbai-bound and Ahmedabad-bound lanes have to get stuck here for around 3-4 hours."

10km
Approx distance between Fountain Hotel and Vasai industrial area