Bombay High Court: Will potholes on NH-66 be filled before Ganpati?

The Bombay High Court has asked the State government to inform by Monday, the steps it has taken singularly or with help from the National Highway Authorities, to repair roads with potholes, on the Mumbai-Goa highway.

A division bench of Justice Abhay Oka and Justice Riyaz Chagla while hearing a public interest litigation filed by advocate Owais Pechkar said, "The government should tell us who is responsible for the repair of the highway, considering the earlier judgment passed by this court with regard to maintenance of roads, by authorities."

Pechkar in his plea has claimed that Ganesh Chaturthi is approaching and is in the month of September, where many people will be commuting towards Konkan region through the NH-66 that shall increase heavy traffic on the highway. But, due to such bad conditions, it will cause grievous harm to the health and life of the commuters at large.

Further, the plea says that the contract to widen the highway was made in 2011, but even in 2018, it is yet to be completed. Due to lack of maintenance of NH-66 by the National Highways Authority and State government, it is leading to huge harm and injury to the life of the common public and violates the fundamental rights under articles 14, 21 of the Constitution of India.

The plea prays that appropriate orders be passed to the authorities, to maintain the NH-66 by filling up the potholes straightaway starting from Palaspe Panvel Raigad- Chiplun-Ratnagiri-Dodamarg Sindhudurg before the onset of Ganesh Chaturthi.