Bombay HC Issues Notices To Govt, TMC, PWD, MMRDA After FPJ Report Highlights 18 Pothole Deaths In Thane

Mumbai, Dec 02: The Bombay High Court has issued notices to the Maharashtra government, Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), Public Works Department (PWD), Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the Traffic Police on a plea highlighting that over 18 deaths have occurred in the neighbouring city due to potholes.

Application Based on FPJ Report Submitted in Court

A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sandesh Patil issued the notices while hearing an application based on a news report by The Free Press Journal, which highlighted the poor condition of roads in Thane, including Ghodbunder Road, which recently witnessed an 11-hour traffic jam.

TMC Earlier Claimed ‘No Deaths Due to Potholes’

Advocate Ruju Thakkar filed the application before the court, which has been hearing a contempt plea regarding non-compliance with earlier High Court orders on the issue.

During last week’s hearing, the TMC stated that there had been no deaths due to potholes in Thane.

FPJ Report Cited: 18 Deaths Between January–October 2025

Thakkar submitted FPJ’s November 23 report titled “Thane’s Ghodbunder Road Crisis: Craters, Chaos And Zero Coordination Keep Commuters Trapped.” The report highlighted that the poor quality of construction material results in potholes reappearing within a week of repairs. It also stated: “Shockingly, 18 people have died between January and October 2025 due to pothole-related mishaps.”

Court Observes Unsafe Repair Work; Calls for Expedited Action

Thakkar argued: “The November 23 article in FPJ points out that in Thane alone, there have been 18 deaths. And there have been multiple protests by citizens there.”

After perusing the article and photographs, the judges remarked that repair and construction work was being carried out without any barricades. “This is literally waiting for an accident to happen. Maybe not a fatal injury, but vehicles are bound to get damaged and people may get hurt,” the court observed.

Justice Dere Cites Personal Experience About Road Conditions

Citing her personal experience of travelling to Uttan near Bhayander, where the Maharashtra Judicial Academy is located, Justice Dere said: “When we go to Uttan, it is difficult to even reach… It is impossible…”

HC Calls Ghodbunder Road Situation ‘Terrible’

Emphasising that the situation on Ghodbunder Road is “terrible”, the bench suggested that repair and road construction work must be expedited. “This is the road where all commercial vehicles ply, for Thane–Gujarat… The government should look into it,” the bench said, adding that the “11-hour traffic jam there was terrible.”

Plea Seeks Compensation for Families of Victims

Thakkar’s application seeks that authorities place data on these 18 deaths before the court and that “all the respondents herein jointly and/or severally be held liable to pay compensation to the family members of the victims.”

It also seeks an inquiry into how and why potholes are resurfacing within a month of repairs, and calls for strict disciplinary and penal action against contractors and officers found guilty of substandard work.

Court Warns Against Jurisdictional Disputes Over Compensation

On November 24, the High Court criticised civic and state authorities for shifting responsibility over compensation payments in pothole- and manhole-related deaths, warning that if they failed to resolve jurisdictional disputes, the court would direct all agencies concerned to share compensation equally.

KDMC Awards ₹6 Lakh Compensation in Open-Drain Death Case

On Tuesday, advocate A.S. Rao, representing the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), informed the court that a newly formed government committee held proceedings and decided to award ₹6 lakh to Eknath Kadam, father of 13-year-old Ayush, who was swept into an open drain in Dombivli on September 28. In that case too, KDMC and MMRDA had disputed jurisdiction.

Rao also informed the court that an inquiry has been initiated against the officers responsible for leaving the manhole open, and that appropriate steps would be taken for recovery of the amount.

HC Says Compensation Process Must Be Expedited

Asking Rao to submit the inquiry report on January 22, the court said: “At least there has been a start, and one person has been awarded compensation. We expect others to follow suit, and that it is done expeditiously.”

The court expressed hope that municipal corporations would expedite work instead of waiting for the next monsoon. “Now we don’t have to wait for the next monsoon. This should be sufficient for all corporations to ensure that all work is done,” the bench remarked.

The High Court has listed the matter for further hearing on December 15 with regard to compliance of payment to Eknath Kadam and the status of payments in other pothole-related deaths.

Ghodbunder Road: Multiple Agencies, Zero Coordination

The nearly 20-km stretch falls under multiple agencies, including TMC, PWD and MMRDA. However, development projects often begin without coordination among these departments. As a result, multiple works are carried out simultaneously on the same stretch, triggering massive traffic jams.

On September 18, a 16-month-old toddler who was injured after falling from the balcony of his grandmother’s home in Nalasopara, died after the ambulance ferrying him to the hospital got stuck in a six-hour-long traffic jam. Police said the congestion resulted from ongoing repair work on the Thane–Ghodbunder Road, which had led to the closure of the Mumbai–Ahmedabad Highway towards Thane from 6 am to 9 pm.

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On July 31, a 49-year-old woman from Palghar, Chhaya Purav, died after being stuck in a traffic jam on NH-48 while being rushed to Mumbai for treatment. She had been injured when a tree branch fell on her near her home. With no trauma centre in Palghar, she was referred to Hinduja Hospital, but the ambulance was trapped in traffic for hours. As her condition deteriorated, she was taken to Mira Road’s Orbit Hospital, where she was declared dead.

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