Repairs on the deteriorated Ghodbunder Road in the Mira-Bhayandar area have been postponed until after Ganeshotsav after the traffic department declined permission for work during the festival period, citing the risk of increased congestion.
The Mira-Bhayandar Municipal Corporation had sought permission to carry out repairs on September 10 and 11, between 10 am and 6 pm. The work was scheduled to address sections of the Ghodbunder Ghat road, but the proposed timing coincided with the movement of devotees and vehicles travelling towards Konkan for Ganeshotsav.
According to the report, the traffic department feared that roadwork during these two days would add to the pressure on the route and disrupt traffic management. The permission was therefore not granted, resulting in the civic body postponing the repairs that had been planned for Thursday and Friday.
Ghodbunder Road connects Thane city with Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar, Borivali and the Palghar region. It is also used by residents from these areas travelling towards Konkan during the Ganesh festival. The postponement means that commuters and devotees are expected to continue using the road while parts of it remain in poor condition.
The road has undergone repairs more than once. The Mira-Bhayandar civic body had carried out work on the Ghodbunder Ghat route after a break in the monsoon, and the report notes that repairs had also been undertaken shortly before the latest proposal. The decision to schedule another round of work has led to complaints from commuters, who have raised concerns about repeated repair activity on the route.
The latest postponement has also brought attention to the difficulty of carrying out road maintenance on a route that serves several urban areas and experiences heavy seasonal movement. While delaying the work may avoid an immediate traffic disruption during the festival period, the road condition remains an issue for people using the route.
Prabhul Wagh, police inspector with the Kashimira traffic branch of the Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar police, said the repair schedule had been deferred for technical reasons and because of the expected traffic impact during Ganeshotsav. A fresh meeting will be held to discuss the repairs, after which a new date will be fixed.
Until that decision is taken, the Ghodbunder Road repairs will remain pending and traffic management authorities will have to coordinate the next work window with the civic administration.
