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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Wednesday took serious note of the massive traffic disruption on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway at Bhorghat following a gas tanker accident and directed authorities to draw up a special emergency traffic management plan to prevent such incidents in the future.
According to an official press release, Shinde instructed the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the police to enhance preparedness and response times. The accident occurred after a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene overturned, resulting in a major leak and a serious safety threat. With no immediate alternative, traffic on the expressway was diverted to the old Mumbai-Pune highway, resulting in long delays. Shinde said MSRDC and police personnel worked continuously for nearly 20 hours to control the situation, acknowledging the hardship and mental distress faced by stranded commuters. MSRDC sought assistance from the National Disaster Response Force, but given the high risk, technical experts from Bharat Petroleum, Hindustan Petroleum, and Reliance Industries were called in. These teams eventually succeeded in controlling the gas leak. During the disruption, MSRDC arranged drinking water and biscuits for commuters, while all officials remained deployed on the ground. Shinde also directed that toll collection on the expressway be suspended until traffic returned to normal. Providing details of the operation, Maharashtra Minister Girish Mahajan said the tanker overturned around 5 pm on Tuesday. "The chemical was extremely flammable, and even a small spark could have caused a major explosion. That's why removal was difficult," he said, adding that the BPCL team had the required technical expertise to extract the chemical safely. He said traffic movement had partially resumed on one side. Shinde also reviewed the status of the Mumbai-Pune Missing Link project, which is nearing completion, and directed officials to expedite the work. He said the new stretch would not only reduce travel time between Mumbai and Pune but also serve as an alternative route during emergencies. (ANI)
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