Palghar: A year after the tragic death of industrialist Cyrus Mistry and his friend Jehangir Pundole on Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway (NH 48), not much has changed at the accident site that was deemed dangerous. In the name of safety, a crash attenuator was installed at the spot of the accident.
Recently, the Palghar police and officials of the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) held a joint meeting to discuss steps to be taken to reduce the number of accidents and fatalities in the section of NH 48 that runs through Palghar district.
Meeting of Officials on Road Safety
The meeting, held in Palghar on August 25, was attended by SP of Palghar, Balasaheb Patil; Project Director of NHAI, Suhas Chitnis; Police station in-charge of Talasari, Kasa, Manor; the in-charge of the Traffic cell of Palghar District; the Manager and Road Safety Auditor, and the Road Structural Auditor of NHAI.
During the meeting, it was decided to install more speed limit signs, identify accident-prone spots, and place road safety direction boards. The road contractor was tasked with repairing potholes and road damage and adding more lights on bridges. Additionally, it was decided to increase the height of the dividers, and new areas were identified for creating rumble strips. The police have requested additional ambulances, cranes, and highway patrolling vehicles.
Lag in Safety Work on NH48 Stretch
A year has passed since the fatal accident of Cyrus Mistry, yet not much has been done to improve safety in the accident-prone section of NH 48. The number of fatalities from January to July this year is 160, resulting from 118 motor accidents and 107 other vehicle accidents. Work on white topping concrete is set to begin in a few days, and many parts of the highway are damaged due to heavy rains. Despite regular fatal accidents at these spots, no special safety measures have been installed on NH 48's black spots.
FPJ spoke with Suhas Chitnis of NHAI a week after the meeting to inquire about the action taken on National Highway 48. Mr. Chitnis mentioned that the work on rumble strips will commence after the monsoon season, and a proposal for an additional ambulance and one Highway Patrolling vehicle has been submitted for approval. Currently, there is one 20-tonne crane operational in the highway section, and more contractual crane services will be hired as needed.
Cyrus Mistry Accident
At Charoti on NH48, a three-lane road towards Mumbai splits into two – one on the east side and two on the west side – before the Surya river bridge. On September 4, 2022, Dr. Anahita Pundole, a friend of Cyrus Mistry, was driving her Mercedes, presumably in the second lane, and attempting to overtake a heavy vehicle from the wrong side. However, she misjudged the bifurcation and crashed into it. Cyrus Mistry, a former Tata Sons Chairman, aged 54, and his childhood friend Jehangir Pandole, were killed instantly. Anahita Pandole and her husband Darius Pandole, who was sitting beside her, suffered severe injuries in the road crash.
The investigation into the accident was conducted by the police, the Regional Transport Office, Mercedes, and several other agencies.
