mid-day ask the govt: Mumbai and Thane residents flag civic woes, from reckless motorists to dug-up roads

Starting February 16 midday introduced a new initiative DEAR GOVERNMENTIn this your favourite newspaper will print your questions to BMC Police and State Government every Monday and will get answers on your behalf Be it roads water crime government policy whatever your query write to us at mailbagmiddaycomor tweet to us at midday and we will try and get responses to your problemsProblemsExpressway nightmareI wish to highlight the extremely concerning and deteriorating condition of the MumbaindashPune Expressway mdash a route used daily by many commuters yet one that seems to have fallen completely off the radar of the Ministry of Transport and other authorities responsible As a daily commuter on this expressway I can say that the past few months have been nothing short of a nightmareTravelling on the expressway has become a nightmare says a reader PICPTIDespite paying Rs 320 per trip Rs 640day approx Rs 12800month in tolls I am regularly trapped in long traffic jams facing 3040 minutes of delay each way and sometimes far worse during nighttime Apart from the financial burden there are major implications on fuel consumption car maintenance health and timeDespite multiple accidents on this expressway in recent days there appears to be no proper monitoring rule enforcement or meaningful action from the authorities It is disappointing to see how citizen safety is being compromised on what was once the pride of Maharashtra Sagar RGhodbunder Road messThe current widening of Ghodbunder Road and Metro construction has created an absolute mess Roads are being laid then again dug up again relayed and I really donrsquot know if there is anyone who is accountable for this mess They first widen the road then the engineers realise that they have not thought about the electric poles So again they start digging the newly relayed roads It is something that you should see to realise the pain that Ghodbunder residents go through every single day The roads are being dug up in a completely haphazard manner And this is all in the district where the deputy chief minister of Maharshtra resides There are service roads near Manpada and Patalipada that have been dug up for the last three years Can you believe it a portion of 1 km has been repeatedly dug up for the last 25 to 3 years If one vehicle breaks down here the ensuing traffic jam stretches for for 45 kms We demand an end this diggingRavi G AhujaCigarette shop nuisanceA cigarette shop in Bandra West has been operating within 50 metres of a school Representation picistockResidents of Madhuban building in Bandra West 224 St Andrewrsquos Road wish to complain about a corner shop selling cigarettes mixers encouraging drugs and alcohol in a lane when it is less than 50 meters from a school The access to our building is always full of youngsters smoking cars parked to pick up cigarettes and drinks and it is a huge traffic and safety nightmare Have complained so many times to the authorities but there has been no help from anyoneDipika Agarwal secretary Madhuban CHS BandraChoked roadA suggestion by midday reader Rohit Midha to the current mess on the 150metre stretch of roadI work in Andheri East and stay at Andheri West and hence travel this route each day morning and evening In the mornings I can beat traffic by leaving early Unfortunately I canrsquot do that for the evenings Work could end anywhere between 6 pm and 9 pm Irrespective of the time the 150metre stretch of road mdash from the junction of Cardinal Gracious to the WEH Gundavali Metro Stn using BD Sawant Marg ends up taking 15 to 25 minutes While there is no simple solution to the evergrowing vehicles this 150metre stretch becomes difficult to navigate owing to the double and triple parking of heavy vehicles mdash most of them waiting to enter the Parle Agro factory Traffic constables spend considerable time kudos trying to keep the traffic moving Canrsquot the authorities make a simple request to the Chauhans of Parle Agro to help discipline the movement of these commercial vehicles and help partly decongest the road can very easily become their CSR reduce pollution and help in sustainabilityRohit MidhaResponsesmidday contacted the authorities who sent their responses to your woes We shall continue to hold officials accountable for the state of the cityNo streetlights for 10 yearsAshokKumar CReply An MMRDA official said ldquoAt certain stretches street lights along JVLR were temporarily removed due to ongoing construction activities for the Swami Samarth NagarVikhroli elevated Metro corridor Upon completion of construction in the respective stretches reinstatement of street lighting is being undertaken by the electricity distribution companies concerned after obtaining the necessary work permissions from BMC in coordination with MMRDA and DMRC Out of the total 85 km stretch along JVLR where street lighting was affected reinstatement has been completed for approximately 45 km The balance work is in progress and is expected to be completed by March 2026rdquoAuto mess at KhargharAmit GReply Tirupati Kakde deputy commissioner of police traffic Navi Mumbai said ldquoUnder the leadership of Milind Bharambhe commissioner of police Navi Mumbai curbing traffic mismanagement is a top priority The Navi Mumbai Traffic Police have intensified action against errant auto drivers Decoy officers in civil clothes catch drivers demanding excess fares refusing meters or misbehaving In a recent crackdown 80 drivers were penalised in one day for violations like meter refusal frontseat passengers no licence and obstruction In Kharghar under Senior PI Gulfaroz Mujawar 48932 cases were registered 9611 cases filed and 60 licences suspendedrdquoAbusive society memberSagar ManeReply Adv Sunil Pandey stated that receiving abusive or defamatory messages in a housing society WhatsApp group is a serious issue that constitutes both a social nuisance and a potential criminal act in India Under Sections 353 356352 351 of BNS 2023 and the Information Technology Act 2000 several actions are available to a complainant to hold the perpetrator accountable and to stop the circulation of such messages Sending abusive defamatory or threatening messages in a society WhatsApp group or other group and circulating them across multiple groups is a punishable offense under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita BNS 2023