Public Works Department wary of inspecting Mumbai-Goa highway?
An attempt to study the dangerous stretch of the Mumbai-Goa Highway was not well-received by the state machinery, and an opportunity to save hundreds of casualties on this route was missed.
An attempt to study the dangerous stretch of the Mumbai-Goa Highway was not well-received by the state machinery, and an opportunity to save hundreds of casualties on this route was missed.
Nitin Dossa, executive chairman of Western India Automobile Association (WIAA), said: "Last year, we took initiative by getting a 'road survey van' from Chennai to conduct a study on the Mumbai-Goa highway. Even the then chief secretary Jayant Bhanthia supported it, but Public Works Department (PWD) officials were reluctant."
The van would have looked into the points of what all road engineering faults result in casualties and what measures should be undertaken for rectification.
"PWD officials merely took a ride in it at Malabar Hill outside Sahyadri Guest House, but that is all. I guess PWD engineers were afraid of problems of the highway coming to light," opined Dossa.
Between 2010 and 2012, there were 828 people who lost their lives and 2,411 others sustained serious injuries. There have been 1,338 accidents in 2010, 1,335 in 2011 and 1,227 in 2012 on this highway due to various reasons.
Although road widening work has been undertaken, it is shoddy and has exposed the National Highway to much more dangers.Stats of road accidents in India1 road death reported every 4 minutesAround 4 lakh road accidents reported in 2013Over 1 lakh people lost life in 20131.2 million Indians killed in car accidents over past decade5.5 million seriously injured during last decade377 deaths daily