mid day editorial: An RTI cannot be a wake-up call for authorities

The widening of the Mumbai-Goa highway (NH-66) has become a matter of concern for those living in the villages along both sides of the road. With construction work being carried out in patches, movement of vehicles has become extremely haphazard on the route.

Coupled with this, random speeding of vehicles is leading to a large number of accidents on the stretch. The reply to a Right To Information (RTI) query filed by a villager has revealed that there have been as many as 18 accidents in the past three months, in which six people have died. It also says that over the past year, 40 people have died in such accidents.

Footpaths along the road and foot overbridges or underpasses are needed. An official from the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) in a report in this newspaper has said that they plan to take steps to ensure villagers' safety.

It is disappointing that it took an RTI request which then became a letter to wake up the authorities to just how dangerous this is. It is also unfathomable why planners are not building any kind of infra for crossing as work is going on along this stretch. This is a sure shot ticket to fatalities.

When widening began or directly after that there should have been great thought given to how villagers are supposed to cross over. There is little point now in thinking of these measures after so many deaths.

Long term vision and the overall picture has to be kept in mind when alterations are made. In the short term, villagers will have to be taught how to cross and which spots to avoid. Become absolutely non-negotiable on speeding. This tragedy hurts all the more simply because it could have been easily avoided.

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