The Mumbai-Goa highway (NH 17) will soon witness a mass exodus of several Mumbaikars, who originally hail from the Konkan belt, and are heading to their hometown to celebrate the upcoming Ganeshotsav. The fact is not lost on the Maharashtra highway police, and steps have been initiated in order to ensure a smooth ride home for the celebrants.
“Several belts of the highway are not even wide enough to allow regular traffic to pass smoothly, and a vehicle breaking down or an accident, further complicates matters. For this reason, we have arranged for one ambulance and one crane to be on continuous standby at every Traffic Aid Post (TAP). Tie ups have also been made with other crane and ambulance operators from villages along the highway. Heavy police deployment, including two superintendents of police (SPs), two deputy SPs, seven police inspectors, 50 assistant and sub-inspectors and 447 police constables, has been ordered along the 475 kilometre-stretch,” said Vijay Kamble, additional director general, Maharashtra highway traffic police.
There are also several factories and ports along the highway, particularly between the Pen and Wadkhal stretch. The police has proposed to the state government that movement of all heavy vehicles be banned on the highway between September 16 and September 20, so that heavy vehicles are allowed to ply only at night from September 21 to September 30. Further, the traffic police has banned vehicles carrying sand from September 16 to October 1, as spillage of sand is a major contributor towards accidents and traffic snarls.
“We are expecting approval from the government in a couple of days. In the meantime, we are in continuous talks with the public works department and the National Highway Authority to get all the potholes on the highway filled before the festival begins,” Mr Kamble added.