Frustrated by the poor condition of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway (NH-48), severe traffic congestion, and administrative negligence, over 100 residents from the Naigaon-Chinchoti-Vasai area have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking permission to die by suicide.
On Friday, residents of villages along NH-48 in this area, such as Sasunavghar, Maljipada, Sasupada, Bobat Pada, and Patharpada, staged a protest along the highway. They complained that what was once a one-hour commute for them has, over the past two months, stretched to five or six hours. “Dying would be better than living like this,” said Sushant Patil, an activist with a local NGO spearheading the protests.
In the letter to the prime minister, a copy of which is with HT, the residents claimed their daily life has been thrown into disarray due to the alleged negligence of the project director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and other officials. “Despite submitting multiple representations, no concrete action has been taken. We therefore strongly demand that disciplinary action be taken against these officials,” the letter said.
Apart from an ever-increasing number of vehicles using NH-48, the protesters blamed the worsening traffic on the pathetic condition of the pothole-ridden highway and poor traffic management.
“The ordeal is insufferable,” said Patil. “Children in the villages have missed their exams, and people have missed their flights. Medical emergencies are also a matter of serious concern, as the nearest hospital is in Mira Road. Usually, you could reach the hospital in 20 minutes, but now it is also taking more than three hours.”
Patil added that villagers would continue to protest until authorities take meaningful action. “We want the authorities to hear us and take action. For years, our prayers and cries have been falling on deaf ears,” he said. The lives of people living in these villages completely depend on NH-48, he added.
In the letter to the PM, the residents also claimed that the authorities have completely ignored a recent directive by the Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police commissionerate prohibiting the movement of heavy vehicles beyond Chinchoti Naka from October 11-14 due to ongoing asphalting and repair work at the Gaimukh Ghat area on Ghodbunder Road in Thane. “As a result, a large number of heavy vehicles entered the highway, causing massive traffic jams and paralysing daily life in the Naigaon-Chinchoti region,” the letter said.
Following the protest, the MBVV police commissioner Niket Kaushik issued a notification on Friday, announcing the closure of the Chinchoti traffic branch and the transfer of highway traffic management duties to the Vasai and Virar traffic branches, according to their respective jurisdictions.
In their letter, the residents made five demands (see graphic). “We urge the government to address these demands immediately. If the administration continues to remain inactive, we citizens will be left with no option but to seek permission to die by suicide in protest against this gross negligence,” the letter said.
HT attempted to contact the NHAI project director, but did not get a response.