Road rage: Fix pothole, traffic issues in Navi Mumbai, or there will be trouble, say cops

MNS agitation is indication of simmering public anger because of chaotic traffic condition on arterial roads passing through the satellite township, the police warn government in letter.

After the vandalism by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) activists at the public works department (PWD) office in Turbhe on Monday, the state police have urged the government to find an immediate as well as long-term solutions to the traffic problems in Navi Mumbai, stating it could lead to law and order problems in the future.

Traffic jam on Sion-Panvel highway near CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai on Tuesday. (Bachchan Kumar/ HT Photo)

Top Mantralaya sources told HT that in a letter addressed to the additional chief secretary (home), a copy of which has also been sent to the principal secretary, PWD, the office of the director general of police (DGP) said the MNS agitation was an indication of the simmering public anger borne out of the chaotic traffic condition on several arterial roads passing through the satellite township. The letter urged senior bureaucrats to take up maintenance and repair of roads with the authorities concerned in order to prevent such outbursts.

“The anger and anguish of people are building up. People are missing flights, skipping work deadlines owing to regular traffic jams and bad roads. This can lead to serious law-and-order situation,” the letter cautioned.

“This should be brought to the notice of the agencies concerned to find a short and long time solution.”

The letter was the result of an alert from the Navi Mumbai police to the DGP’s office.

The worst-hit in Navi Mumbai is the Sion-Panvel highway, the only road linking Mumbai with two key highways – Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Mumbai-Goa highway.

Huge potholes have surfaced on the road, slowing down vehicles and making traffic snarls a regular feature.

The situation is no better on pothole-ridden Thane-Badlapur road (starting at Turbhe junction) and the Kharghar flyover.

Sources said the involvement of multiple agencies results in the delay in repair and maintenance of these roads.

While some of these roads are maintained by MMRDA, others by the PWD, CIDCO and the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation. In the absence of a concerted and multi-department approach, the maintenance work is done in a hurry every year.

“For smooth flow of traffic, it has become imperative to repair these roads immediately,” the letter noted.