Mumbai-Pune Expressway Traffic Jam Ends After 32 Hours; Government Takes Decisive Action

The massive traffic jam on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway has finally ended after 32 hours.

The heavy traffic jam on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, which lasted for 32 hours, has now ended. Authorities have successfully removed the overturned inflammable gas tanker from the road near the Adoshi tunnel after considerable effort. The crisis, which began on Tuesday evening, concluded early on Thursday morning, bringing relief to thousands of travellers.

This rescue operation was extremely challenging due to the presence of a highly flammable gas, Propylene, in the tanker. Following the accident, the lanes heading towards Mumbai remained completely closed for over 24 hours. Fire brigade teams continuously sprayed water to prevent any untoward incidents. The operation involved a collaborative effort by the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force), Pune Police, IRB Police, ONGC experts, CISF (Central Industrial Security Force), Fire Service, and local volunteers. The tanker was righted and removed from the expressway with the help of three cranes.

No Food, No Water, No Toilet Facilities...

According to information received, the accident occurred late on Tuesday evening when the tanker lost control at a turn and overturned. Upon receiving reports of a gas leak, authorities immediately closed the lane from Pune to Mumbai. Due to the highly flammable nature of Propylene gas, there was a significant risk of a major accident. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in this incident.

The traffic jam, which began around 6:15 PM on Tuesday, caused immense distress to travellers, resulting in a 25 to 30 km long queue of vehicles. Children, women, and the elderly were stranded on the road throughout the night without access to food, water, or toilet facilities.

Over 140 MSRTC Buses Cancelled

Traffic was diverted to the old Mumbai-Pune highway. The impact of this traffic jam was so significant that the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) had to cancel over 140 of its MSRTC buses, including 73 Shivneri e-buses. Additionally, 163 MSRTC buses were stuck in the jam on the expressway on Wednesday.

Row Over Toll Collection

Travellers caught in this severe jam alleged that while people were stranded for hours, the administration and toll companies continued to collect tolls without providing any facilities. However, considering the gravity of the situation, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde ordered that no toll should be collected from passengers during such traffic jam situations.

Shinde has expressed strong displeasure over this traffic jam. He has called for the immediate preparation of an emergency plan to deal with such incidents in the future. He has also directed to expedite the work on the Missing Link Project to reduce traffic pressure on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway.