200 deaths in 2 yrs; HC seeks answers

Road conditions remain bad, people are losing their lives and authorities are not taking any responsibility. DEEPAK SINGH, PIL petitioner

MUMBAI: The Bombay high court (HC) has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Public Works Department (PWD) and other road authorities to respond to a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking an inquiry into the 200 deaths that have happened on the Sion-panvel Highway in the past two years.

The PIL has further stated that there have been 351 deaths on the roads in Navi Mumbai and Cidco in the past two-and-a-half years. The court has asked the authorities to respond within two weeks.

According to Deepak Singh, an activist who filed the PIL, the death counts were based on queries he made under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from the authorities who maintain the Sion-panvel Highway as well as the internal roads at Navi Mumbai and Cidco.

“The rise in fuel prices is already putting a strain on the commuters and toll collection is going on unabated. Despite this, the conditions of roads remain bad, people are losing their lives and the authorities are not taking any responsibility,” said Singh, who also sought a mechanism to address the issues of the commuters using these roads.

The bench of justices Ranjit More and Bharati Dangre held that the loss of lives was a serious issue and directed all the authorities including the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) to explain them.