People who frequently use the Mumbai-Goa National Highway are painfully aware of the state of the roads. The Bombay High Court (HC) has now stepped in following a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Owais Pechkar, who happens to be a frequent commuter on the highway.
In response to the petition, the bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni instructed the Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to undertake the required works and fix the potholes on the highway stretch.
The bench further asked the PWD and NHAI to barricade portions of the highway where road widening works were being carried out so as to avoid “loss of lives.”
“The situation on the highway is not good. We want the state PWD and NHAI to look into the immediate issues, including potholes,” the bench said while adding that the onset of monsoon could lead to a rise in accidents, hence the necessary measures have to be taken.
The petitioner Pechkar had also filed a similar petition in 2018 seeking the court to direct the authorities to fix the potholes. In response, the bench at the time said that ridding roads of potholes is the least that a government could do for its citizens. After learning that little progress has been made on this front since 2018, Pechkar decided to file a fresh plea with the HC earlier this week.
“At some places, there are no guards on the road cautioning motorists that they will have to take precaution ahead due to potholes or ongoing widening work. You (PWD and NHAI) will be required to address it. Some barricading will have to be done,” the bench further said.
The court has asked the authorities for a progress report of the road widening works being conducted at the highway. The next hearing on the matter has been posted for the second week of July.
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