Maharashtra: Government assures 'smooth ride' on all Konkan roads before Ganeshotsav

Devotees cover up the Ganpati idol with a plastic sheet to protect it from rain. File Pic/Ashish Raje

Under severe fire from the Opposition for the bad roads condition, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday assured that repairs are being carried out on "a war footing" on all the important thoroughfares from Mumbai to the coastal Konkan ahead of the 10-day Ganeshotsav festival starting on August 31.

Public Works Department Minister Ravindra Chavan has directed all concerned officials to accord priority attention to the region which witnesses lakhs of commuters from Mumbai travelling to their homes in the Konkan region to celebrate Ganeshotsav.

The officials have been directed to ensure complete repairs like smoothening uneven stretches, potholes, cracks, washed out sections and other obstacles by the weekend to ensure speedy movement of traffic as well as avert accidents on the roads and highways from Mumbai to Palghar, Thane, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg.

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Senior engineers of the PWD shall be deployed to oversee and monitor the road repairs carried out by the local contractors of the various civic bodies, to ensure quality and durability of the work, an official from Ratnagiri explained.

Additionally, Chavan said the number of traffic wardens manning the roads and the main link, the Mumbai-Goa Highway, shall be increased to control the traffic and prevent road snarls which in the past have held up the commuters - travelling in cars, mini-vans, tempos, state transport of private buses, etc. for many hours.

Lakhs of people who live and work in Mumbai hail mostly from the Konkan districts and they travel to their native towns or villages during the Ganesh festival, with massive traffic movement witnessed for 10 days.

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It may be recalled that certain stretches of the highway, major and arterial roads in the Konkan region have been ravaged during the monsoon onslaught, with shocking photos and videos going viral on social media, as the temporary 'festival migration' is slated to start from this weekend.

The poor roads in the Konkan have hampered traffic movement, led to breakdown of vehicles, resulted in serious accidents and major vehicular jams that take hours to clear, delaying or stranding thousands of people en route.

For the first time after the 2020-2021 Coronavirus pandemic, the state government has lifted all restrictions on Ganeshotsav celebrations from August 31-September 9, creating euphoria among the people, especially in the Konkan region where the state's most important public festival is celebrated in a big way.

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