Shocking! Desperate villagers on Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway ask PM Modi for suicidal nod

Residents of several villages in Maharashtra staged a protest on Friday, expressing anguish over the administration’s apathy and the deteriorating condition of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway (NH-48), which is riddled with potholes and causing severe traffic snarls. More than 100 of them have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi asking for a nod to die by suicide as their “ordeal is unbearable”. Residents of Sasunavghar, Maljipada, Sasupada, Bobat Pada and Patharpada said that a journey that took just an hour for the past two months has reportedly turned into a five-to-six-hour nightmare. Sushant Patil, an activist from a local NGO leading the protests, told Hindustan Times, “Dying would be better than living like this.” “The ordeal is unbearable. Children in the villages have missed their exams, and people have missed their flights. Medical emergencies are also a matter of serious concern as the nearest hospital is in Mira Road. Usually you can reach the hospital within 20 minutes, but now it also takes more than three hours,” he said. Mentioning that the protest will not stop until authorities take concrete action, he said, “We want the authorities to hear us and act. For years, our prayers and cries have fallen on deaf ears,” he said. The lives of people living in these villages completely depend on NH-48.” What did the letter say? The residents said that their daily lives were disrupted due to the alleged carelessness by the project director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), including other officials. The letter, seen by HT, reads: “Despite submitting several representations, no concrete action has been taken. We therefore strongly demand that disciplinary action be taken against these officials.” The residents alleged that the authorities completely disregarded a recent order issued by the Mira-Bhayander and Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police department, banning the movement of large vehicles past Chinchoti Naka between October 11 and 14 due to ongoing paving and maintenance activities in the Gaimukh Ghat region along Ghodbunder Road in Thane. The letter said, “As a result, a large number of heavy vehicles entered the highway, causing massive traffic jams and paralyzing daily life in the Naigaon-Chinchoti region.” “We call on the government to immediately address these demands. If the administration continues to remain inactive, our citizens will be left with no option but to seek permission to die by suicide in protest against this gross negligence,” the letter added. HT tried to reach out to the NHAI project director but got no response. responsibilities to the Vasai and Virar traffic branches, based on their respective areas of jurisdiction.