The massive traffic jam on the Indore-Dewas National Highway in Madhya Pradesh, which lasted for nearly 50 hours last week, has now escalated. Thousands of vehicles were stranded during this period, and there are claims that three people died due to lack of medical attention. A public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the matter was heard on Monday in the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, where the response from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) surprised everyone.
NHAI's Response Sparks Controversy
During the hearing in the High Court, when the NHAI's lawyer was asked for a response, he said, "Why do people leave their homes so early without any necessary work?" This statement triggered sharp reactions from the court, the general public, and social media. People are calling it insensitive and irresponsible behavior. The High Court also expressed displeasure at NHAI's response and has asked all relevant departments for a detailed report.
Notices Sent to NHAI and Administration
The division bench of Justices Vivek Rusia and Vinod Kumar Dwivedi, hearing the petition filed by advocate Anand Adhikari, issued notices to the central government, NHAI, the Indore district administration, and the police. All parties have been directed to respond within a week. Furthermore, the private company constructing the highway has also been directed to be made a respondent.
The court stated that the arrangement of alternative routes for heavy vehicles should be continued for now, and a concrete strategy should be made to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future.
Petitioner Demands Court Oversight
In this case, the petitioner, advocate Girish Patwardhan, requested the High Court to itself monitor the construction work underway on the Indore-Dewas route. He said that the 50-hour traffic jam was solely a result of administrative negligence, and unless the accountability of the responsible agencies is fixed, the public will have to face such situations.
He argued that construction work on highly congested routes like national highways should be done with complete transparency and planning, so that the general public experiences minimal inconvenience.
Case of Elderly Man's Death in Car Surfaces
Meanwhile, Vijay Panchal, a resident of Bijalpur, claimed that his father, Kamal Panchal (65), suffered a heart attack while stuck in the jam and died because he could not reach the hospital on time. He said that the car was stuck in the jam for hours and no assistance was available. Finally, his father passed away in the car.
This heartbreaking incident has raised questions about the administration's functioning. Sharp reactions have been emerging on social media since the incident. Citizens have protested in several places, expressing anger at the negligent traffic management and poor construction planning.
Administration Takes Charge
After the matter escalated, the local administration worked quickly to restore traffic on the highway. However, the way NHAI responded further aggravated the situation.
Now, all eyes are on the next hearing of the High Court, where the general public hopes that clear accountability will be established in this matter and strict steps will be taken to prevent such situations in the future.
