Mumbai, August 14: Even as Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar sanctioned Rs 21 crore for urgent repairs on the Mumbai–Goa Highway ahead of the Ganesh festival, it is the efforts of a 29-year-old that is emerging as the torchbearer of a larger cause.
One Man’s Mission for Safer Roads
Armed with a camera in one hand and a cause in his heart, Chaitanya Laxman Patil, a fisherman from Pen who is also an electronics engineer and pursuing a Master’s in Social Work, has embarked on a 500 km mission to walk the length of the Mumbai–Goa Highway. His goal: to document the road’s dangerous condition, which has claimed thousands of lives and continues to put motorists at risk.
Rasta Satyagraha in Action
Patil began his “Rasta Satyagraha – On-Foot Inspection Campaign” on the Mumbai–Goa National Highway (NH-66) from Palaspe Phata on Saturday morning. By August 14, he had covered around 84 km. Having his village near Goa and seen the road’s hazards firsthand, Patil says he wants to give authorities a personal, ground-level view of the problems and urge corrective action.
“This is not a stunt; it’s a cause I feel very personally about. In fact, last year I did a similar survey on my bike,” Patil said.
Disturbing Death Toll Data
This year’s walk is fuelled by disturbing data from an RTI he filed in April: 1069 people have died in accidents on the Raigad stretch alone over the past 12 years. “similar number of lives are lost in ratnagiri as well. The data is deeply disturbing. This road passes through multiple districts, and I’m still awaiting death toll data from Sindhudurg. In Raigad and other areas, over 2,000 lives have been lost due to the road’s poor condition,” he said.
Ground-Level Inspection
Patil’s journey has been arduous. On the sixth day, as he neared Mangaon, he noted that his walking hours were reduced because of frequent stops to photograph potholes and cracks—even on newly concretised patches.
“I have already documented over 1,000 potholes and cracks on newly built roads, which signal future potholes. Normally, I should be able to cover 20 km a day, but due to the road’s condition, I barely manage a few kilometres,” he said.
He is also documenting peripheral hazards: “Littering by motorists is a menace. Food waste attracts stray animals, which can go unnoticed by two-wheeler riders, causing them to lose balance. I’m also speaking to villagers and sarpanches to understand their perspectives,” he said.
During the walk, Patil is recording waterlogging spots, accident-prone “black spots,” damaged or missing signboards, and other critical faults, tagging each with GPS coordinates and photographs. His findings will be submitted to the concerned authorities, ministries, and organisations.
Not a Protest, But a Call for Action
Patil is also looking into alleged delays and hurdles in the highway-widening project, which has dragged on for more than a decade. He clarified that this is not a protest or demonstration but a peaceful, organised campaign within the legal framework to push for urgent repairs and road safety measures.
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“The goal is simple,” Patil said. “Before Ganeshotsav, as a Konkankar I want the roads should be safe enough that no family has to fear losing a loved one on the way home.”
