Toll operators on Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway turn off lights to skimp on bills

The portion of the Mum-Ahd Highway near Charoti toll naka did not have any functional streetlights during mid-day’s test drive on September 10. Pics/Satej Shinde

After finding out that most of the bridges on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway remain in the dark in the night, mid-day delved deeper to see who was responsible for the black-out at the expense of the lives of motorists. The result of the investigation came as a shocker as the team learnt that the toll operator, who is in charge of paying bills and maintaining streetlights, does not switch on the lights to save on power bills!

Also read: Poorly maintained Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway is a deadly nightmare for motorists

Darkness engulfs the Manor bridge on the highway

During a test drive on September 10 night, mid-day saw that of the 21 bridges from Versova bridge to Charoti on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, only 3 had functional streetlights. Thereafter, the team got in touch with both traffic police authorities and MSEDCL about the same and were told that power connection to some of the stretches were disconnected due to non-payment of electricity bills. However, later MSEDCL officials said that the private contractors who operate the toll plazas intentionally do not switch on the lights to save on power bills.

Bills pending, power on

MSEDCL officials said that of the 21 bridges, the connection to only Khaniwada bridge was disconnected due to non-payment of bills to the tune of Rs 14,720. They further added that Mahadiscom, as a rule, does not disconnect supply to public infra despite a few months of backlog in bill payment. A senior official from the Mahadiscom, on the condition of anonymity, said, "Electricity supply to Sasunavghar, Naigaon junction, Sativali, Shirsad, Kashid Kopar, Tungarphata is operational and there has been no power cut done by us."

One of the only three bridges on the Charoti stretch of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway where streetlights were working

Speaking on the pending bills, officials said, the last electricity bill for Sasunavghar bridge was paid on July 27 and the current pending bill amount is Rs 5,250. Similarly, the pending amount for Naigaon junction is only Rs 600 and for Sativali bridge is Rs 14,540. The last payments for both the bridges were done in July. As per MSEDCL officials, bills for Shirsad and Kopar bridges were last paid in June and now they have an outstanding amount of Rs 41,340 and Rs 31,670, respectively.

They added that despite the pending bills, all the bridges have active power connection. However, mid-day, during its test drive, found all of the above mentioned bridges in darkness.

‘It's due to contract'

As highway traffic police officers said that the streetlights on the bridges are to be maintained by the toll operators, mid-day checked with the National Highways Authority of India to see who was in charge of the two toll plazas - one at Khaniwade and another at Charoti - on the stretch.

According to the NHAI website, M/s Sri Sai Enterprises has been given the contract for the Khaniwade toll and Kalyan Toll Infrastructure Ltd is in charge of toll collection at Charoti toll plaza since August. The website further mentioned that the Representative of Concessionaire for both the plazas is Santosh Bhelekar. mid-day tried to get in touch with Bhelekar on the number mentioned on the website, but could not reach him.

Another bridge where not a single streetlight was on

When contacted, NHAI Consultant Mukund Thakur, who is in charge of the Mumbai-Surat stretch of the highway, said, "As per the earlier contract, it is the job of the toll operator to look after the maintenance and payment of electricity bills of the streetlights on the bridges on the highway. Recently, the toll collection contract has been given to new contractors, but the bill payment for streetlights was not a part of the contract. We have sent a revised proposal to the authorities to include the clauseNHAI has already started the process to pay the outstanding electricity bills and the Demand Draft for the same has also been given to the MSEDCL office. Soon all the lights on the bridges will be operational."

However, when mid-day spoke to one of the NHAI consultants, who wished not to be named, said, "We got the contract to look after the road maintenance but not the streetlights. The contractor before us was tasked with looking after both road maintenance including streetlights and toll collection. But now, NHAI has awarded separate contracts for toll collection and road maintenance. We get complaints from motorists about the non-functional lights and we even wrote to NHAI seeking the contract for the same. During our inspection, we saw wires were cut from the main connection."

‘Dereliction of duty'

When contacted, Deputy Commissioner Police of Highway Traffic (Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway) Mohan Dahikar said, "I don't know why the lights are not operational but our officers often write to the authorities concerned about the same."

Toll activist Sanjay Shirodkar said, "If the toll operator is deliberately not switching on the streetlights on the bridges with the intention to save money, then a criminal offence should be registered against them because the bridges with no lights can be death traps for motorists."

"This is a very serious issue that got uncovered. This is a clear case of cheating, breach of trust and dereliction of duty, and all parties responsible including the contractors are liable to be prosecuted as citizens pay toll to private contractors on government assurance to get the best service. They should be prosecuted for conspiracy to cause grievous hurt and injury which may even result in death," said Jitendra Gupta, transport expert.

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No of bridge facing power disconnection due to pending bills