THANE/NASHIK: Potholes on several stretches of arterial roads and highways have resurfaced in and around Thane city just a week after their repair, and former minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Thursday got a taste of the snarls caused by these every day.
Bhujbal was stuck in a traffic jam for nearly an hour and a half because of potholes near Bhiwandi when he was on his way from Mumbai to Nashik.
"In the first place, most of the roads were repaired very recently after CM Eknath Shinde took note of their condition. That they should come apart in barely a week shows just how much poor the work is and how much quality is compromised. This happens because road contractors and officials who act in collusion get away with it. Fixing of accountability is urgent, along with good-quality repairs.-TimesView"
Frequent travellers say the 160km distance between the two cities is usually covered in three hours. The potholes on the Thane stretch and further at Igatpuri and Kasara Ghat in Nashik district have made it a six-hour journey.
Work on repairing most of the roads was taken up recently after their state drew the attention of chief minister Eknath Shinde, but regulars say the potholes are back.
Mulund resident Rishi Sharma said he had been leaving home early nowadays to avoid getting stuck in traffic snarls on his way to work in Bhiwandi. “The stretch has become a nightmare in the rainy season,” he said.
Slamming the “pathetic state” of the Nashik highway, another regular, Sukant Mohanta, said it takes 2-3 hours to cross 12-15km.
Bhujbal said that after he crossed Thane city, his vehicle was stranded at one spot for an hour and a half. “The Thane stretch of the Mumbai-Agra highway is most dangerous. Even Igatpuri and Ghoti have several potholes,” he said.
Industrialist Abhay Kulkarni, a frequent traveller between Nashik and Mumbai and chairman of the Advantage Nashik Foundation, said that it takes four and half hours and more to cover the distance and the traffic jam near Bhiwandi has become a regular feature.
“The stretch from Thane to Anjur Phata is an extremely busy route. The area has warehouses. Due to heavy vehicular traffic, a lot of time is lost to cover a short distance of 10km,” said Kulkarni, adding that the issue had also been brought to the notice of the Prime Minister’s Office by his organisation.
Bhujbal said that CM Shinde must intervene immediately as the highway passes through his home district. “I already spoke to him a few days back about this issue and requested him to impress upon the construction and maintenance agencies to repair the road. I will also raise this issue on the floor of the house in the forthcoming assembly session,” said Bhujbal.
A National Highways Authority of India official said they will review the damaged stretches and take up repair work in the next few days.
Bhausaheb Salunke, project director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Nashik, said that they were filling the potholes within 48 hours but had not been able to take up repairs due to the continuous rain.
The condition of roads is no different within Thane city, where 965 potholes were spotted across the nine wards.
