35 villages in Valsad and Khergam talukas Threaten to Block NH-48 over Delayed State Highway Renovation

Valsad/Surat : Residents of more than 35 villages in Valsad and Khergam talukas in Gujarat’s Valsad district are planning to block the National Highway (NH 48) between Ahmedabad and Mumbai to protest the delay in the completion of the Valsad-Khergam state highway.

The sarpanch of these villages submitted a memorandum to the Valsad district collector, urging the authorities to complete the highway on a war footing on Wednesday.

The renovation of the state highway has been stalled for the last eight years, and the Gujarat government sanctioned Rs 17 crore for the renovation, but the work was stopped due to the forest department not giving clearance for the same in the last one month.

The contractor has dug up the entire stretch of the highway, leaving pits open, resulting in mishaps. The old bridges have been demolished, and many internal roads have been diverted, making commuting difficult for the villagers, especially students. With the monsoon season approaching fast, the villagers fear that they will be stranded in their villages due to the bad condition of the highway.

“We have been representing the authorities for the last many days to immediately compete the highway work before the monsoon season, but they are yet to act. We have finally decided to hit the streets in protest against the government and the administration. If the highway work is not started in the next one week, we will block NH-48,” said Mitesh Parmar, sarpanch of Segwa village.

The Valsad-Khergam state highway connects more than 100 villages in the Valsad district. Students, service people, small business people etc. have been using the highway to commute to Valsad and beyond on daily basis.

“Where are we supposed to go, is a big question for us during the monsoon season” said Shirish Patel, sarpanch of Fanaswada village. “The bridge connecting our village to the highway has been demolished. How the people would cross the rivulet during the monsoon season when it will be full of water?”

“We have been witnessing accidents for the last many days due to the open pits on both the sides of the highway” said Nitin Patel, sarpanch of Gundlav village. “It is a question of life and death of the people in Valsad and Khergam village. There is only one way to bring the solution and that is blocking the NH-48”

The villagers are demanding the government to complete the renovation work of the state highway as soon as possible, so that their daily commute is not affected. They have also requested the authorities to take necessary safety measures to prevent accidents on the highway. The protests may cause traffic disruptions on NH-48, which is a major route connecting Ahmedabad and Mumbai. The authorities need to take swift action to resolve the issue and ensure the safety and convenience of the villagers.