Independent MLC Satyajeet Tambe has questioned the quality of Samruddhi highway, which recently completed one year, noting the number of accidents on the stretch.
As per data available, the highway witnessed 1,282 accidents in the last one year in which 135 people lost their lives. Tambe said the quality of the highway is “not uniform”, which could be the leading cause of accidents.
“The work was done in 14 phases between Nagpur and Ghoti. With 14 different contractors doing the job, the quality of work has varied enormously. While in some phases the cars go smoothly, in some areas, the car almost flies off the ground. This is also a major reason why accidents occur on the highway. The question is, will the government try to standardise the quality of the highway and whether they will put a patch-like coating on the entire road that will even it out?” asked Tambe.
He also blamed police and RTO officials for appearing in front of the vehicles suddenly, leading to accidents. “In order to catch drivers flouting rules, they suddenly appear from behind trees or diversions and turns, thereby startling drivers. Due to this, the driver either puts sudden brakes or accelerates further out of fear. This leads to many accidents. Are they on a prowl to hunt violators?” he said.
Reacting to the issue, state excise minister Shambhuraj Desai assured that directions would be given to the Road Development Corporation to check the quality of the road.
“Apart from that, instructions will be given to the highway police superintendent and transport commissioner that police should stand at a place where the motorists can see them and not suddenly come in front of the drivers,” he said.
Tambe also raised concerns about the increase in robbery cases on the highway. “Although it is a 701-km six-lane highway, it crosses 10 districts and passes outside settlements. As a result, the highway is deserted due to which incidents of theft and robbery are becoming common. What measures will the government take to address the issue?” Desai responded that the highway police will be instructed to patrol the stretch.
Samruddhi Mahamarg, officially known as Hindu Hrudaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, is a 701-km stretch connecting Mumbai and Nagpur.
The country’s second-longest expressway is expected to reduce the travel time between Nagpur and Mumbai to eight hours from 16 once it is fully operational. A total of 600 km of the stretch has been opened for public use in two phases. The first phase of 520 km, between Nagpur and Shirdi, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2022, while the second phase, between Shirdi and Bharvir, was inaugurated in May by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. Work is underway on the stretch between Bharvir in Igatpuri and Mumbai.
KILLER ROAD?
Two major accidents have caused 37 deaths on the stretch. In one, a private AC sleeper bus caught fire after an intoxicated driver lost control in July, while on October 15, 12 people died and 23 others were injured when a Tempo Traveller rammed a truck from behind.
On August 1 this year, 20 workers, including engineers and supervisors, were crushed to death and three others injured after a crane collapsed on a bridge slab during the construction of the third phase of the expressway in Thane district.
On May 24, four members of two families from Surat died, while another member sustained injuries, when their car met with an accident on the Jaipur-Siwar patch in rural Aurangabad early morning. Preliminary probe indicated highway hypnosis as the cause.
On May 29, three people were killed after a car rammed a road divider and caught fire in Buldhana. One person was flung out of the vehicle and died of serious injuries, while two others got trapped in the car and were charred to death.
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