HC pulls up highways authority over pothole-ridden Mumbai-Goa highway

The Bombay High Court on Monday rapped the Maharashtra government and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for failing to maintain the national highway (NH 66), connecting Mumbai and Goa after being informed by the NHAI that the repair work of the total seven km stretch of this highway near Panvel area would be completed before the commencement of Ganesh festival.

The Bombay High Court on Monday rapped the Maharashtra government and also the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for failing to maintain the national highway (NH 66), connecting Mumbai and Goa. This comes after the HC was informed by the NHAI that the repair work of the total seven kilometers of stretch of this highway near Panvel area, would be completed before the commencement of Ganesh festival.

A division bench of Justices Abhay Oka and Riyaz Chagla was irked over the submission and report of the NHAI, Pen division.

"The percentage of the potholes is very much low and the traffic is moving smoothly. The potholes developed during monsoon are being filled by the contractors on a daily basis and the same would be rectified before Ganesh festival," the report stated.

Irked over this, the bench said, "Do you propose to say that the road is only meant for devotees and not the common man, who use this road on a daily basis? This should not be the approach, at least in such serious matters."

The observation was made in context that the potholes in this stretch pose a "serious threat" to citizens who regularly use this road.

The bench was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Owais Pechkar seeking directions to the authorities to repair the potholes on the NH 66 on an urgent basis. The PIL contends that since lakhs of people use this road on a daily basis to travel to Goa or Konkan areas, the potholeridden highway pose a serious threat to them.

The PIL seeks urgent repair on the ground that since the Ganesh festival is about to commence in a month or two, thousands of people would use this stretch to travel to their hometowns in Konkan region.

The judges, having considered the contentions, have also asked the authorities to spell the type of material used in the repair work of the potholes.

The bench had earlier asked the government to spell who is responsible for the upkeep of the highway.

Accordingly, it was informed on Monday that the highway is maintained by the state's Public Works Department (PWD) and also the Union government and the NHAI.

The matter will be next heard after two weeks.