Keypoints:
- Bombay HC constitutes a panel to take steps for the speedy progress of widening the Hill Road.
- The court was told that that it takes hours to traverse the 5km stretch.
Bombay High Court constituted a panel to take steps for the speedy progress of the widening of the Hill road, links the city to 4 national highways. As per sources, the construction was progressing at a snail’s pace.
Meanwhile, observing that “as the safety of commuters/human lives is paramount,” a bench of justices K K Tated and Girish Kulkarni directed about interim measures till the completion of the project so that it becomes safe and convenient to commute. The court was told that it takes hours to traverse the 5km stretch.
The court was hearing a PIL by Sushil Nimbalkar to direct MSRDC to finish the work on Bhiwandi-Kalyan Shil Phata Road that links Mumbai to highways to Agra, Ahmedabad, Nashik and Pune. The contract was given to widen the road on July 2019, to widen the road from four lanes to six and the work was to be completed in 30 months. In the last four years, there were 330 accidents and 52 deaths, said the petition.
In the November 4 order, the judges said that prima facie there is much substance in contention of Nimbalkar’s advocate Shriram Kulkarni that due to the slow speed of the road project work, immense hardship is faced by citizens and particularly of the ordeal of long traffic jams.
A committee was directed to be set up under the chairmanship of vice chairman cum managing director of MSRDA or his representatives with nominated officers from each of the corporations, PWD and RTO.
The judges said, “The committee may also deliberate as to whether it would be feasible to have time zones for different category of heavy and light commercial vehicles or have dedicated lanes for different categories.” They all said Nimbalkar and citizens are at liberty to make representations, including submitting video clips on traffic issues so the problem is identified and redress measures devised.
