The Palghar district administration has approved CCTV cameras, a dedicated control room and digital mapping at 25 accident-prone black spots on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway-48 after the locations recorded 117 accidents and 108 deaths between 2023 and 2025.
The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Palghar collector Indurani Jakhar to review measures to reduce road accidents on highways in the district. The identified black spots will be marked on Google Maps so motorists can receive alerts while approaching stretches considered particularly hazardous.
A dedicated control room will monitor the black spots, while CCTV cameras are planned at all 25 locations. The administration has directed the agencies concerned to strengthen surveillance and take preventive action at accident-prone stretches.
The district’s wider highway accident figures show the scale of the safety challenge. Between 2022 and 2026, highways in Palghar recorded 746 accidents, resulting in 449 deaths and 301 injuries, according to the report. The figures cover multiple highways in the district and include the 25 black spots identified on NH-48.
Unauthorised openings in highway medians have been identified as one of the major causes of accidents. Work is under way to close 53 such openings using metal-beam crash barriers and New Jersey-type barriers. The National Highways Authority of India will also develop a real-time monitoring system to track median openings and prevent unauthorised access.
The measures are intended to address both vehicle movement and pedestrian safety on the highway. NHAI has completed 10 foot overbridges along the route. Work on six additional foot overbridges at Talasari, Neelgiri Hotel, Amboli, Khanivade, Bapane and Sasunavghar is scheduled to begin in the first week of October 2026.
The planned interventions place responsibility across the district administration and highway agencies, combining roadside surveillance, digital warnings, physical barriers and pedestrian crossings. The administration has directed the concerned agencies to continue monitoring the identified locations and implement preventive measures aimed at reducing fatalities on NH-48.
