Thane: Truck falls off flyover, causes five-hour snarl

Long traffic queues caused by the fallen truck; (inset) the overturned truck. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

Thane residents, especially those using Ghodbunder Road, are all too familiar with the frustrating traffic congestion that often plagues the area. However, Wednesday's gridlock was particularly severe, with traffic at a standstill for nearly five hours. The chaos led to significant inconvenience as students were stranded in long queues, resulting in late arrivals at school and cancelled afternoon classes.

The source of the disruption was a chemical-laden truck that overturned, causing another vehicle to crash and block the road, leading to a five to 10 km stretch of gridlock. "The truck was en route from Nhava Sheva to Bawal in Haryana, carrying 34 tonnes of paraformaldehyde chemical in approximately 8,000 kg bags. The truck overturned on the highway, injuring the driver, Mohammed Rujdar, 50, who was subsequently taken to the hospital," said a police officer.

The long traffic queues caused by the overturned truck. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

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Given the hazardous nature of the truck's cargo, authorities had to not only remove the vehicle but also safely handle the chemical spill. "Using three hydra machines and with the assistance of personnel from the disaster management unit of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), Thane traffic police, and the fire brigade, the road was cleared. Due to the accident, the road passing under the Patlipada Bridge was closed, and traffic from the bridge towards Ghodbunder was halted for hours," the officer added.

Pankaj Shirsat, deputy commissioner of police, Thane Traffic Unit, said, "The accident occurred late at night. Our personnel worked to clear the traffic, but due to the chemical spill, we required assistance from other departments to ensure its safe removal. The road was reopened to the public by the afternoon."

Three hydra machines and personnel from the disaster management, police and fire brigade helped clear the road

Sneha Singh, a social activist from Thane City who was also caught in the traffic said, "Accidents frequently occur on this road due to poor road conditions, inadequate street lighting, and a lack of lane markings near flyover ramps. This Ghodbunder Road is the lifeline to the 20 lakh residents from Thane City, Mira Bhayander but is yet ignored by authorities. The State PWD, which owns the roads, is unresponsive, and the TMC engages in a blame game rather than addressing the situation. The slow pace of Metro Line 4 construction adds to the problem, as barricades on the highway lead to more frequent jams."

Not only did motorists suffer, but students returning home were also severely affected by the traffic snarls. Akshara Mandke, whose daughter is in the seventh grade at a well-known school near Talao Pali said, "The school left around 10 am, but my daughter didn't get home until 2 pm. She was stuck in traffic for nearly four hours. Normally, the journey from Talao Pali to Hiranandani takes about 20 minutes, but yesterday it took almost four hours. The students on the bus were frustrated. We used the phones of a few senior students to stay in touch and counsel them to be patient. We even had to ride halfway on our scooter to pick them up to avoid waiting another two hours. With such conditions, students can't focus on their studies; they're just stuck in traffic," she said.

Mandke also noted that the afternoon school sessions were cancelled due to the traffic. "Many school buses stuck in the traffic couldn't return in time, leading to the cancellation of the afternoon sessions. Several parents also chose not to send their children to school. This isn't an isolated incident; accidents on this stretch are frequent. Just yesterday, there was another truck accident on the same road," Mandke added.