Meet the Maharashtra activist who walked 490 km on Mumbai–Goa highway, sent hazard report to Gadkari

AMid growing public see red o'er the shape of the bombay–Goa main road project, a 28-year-old activist from Maharashtra’s Raigad district took matters into his own hands. He has completed a 490-km walk along the entire stretch to document safety lapses and commuter risks, which he has reportedly sent to Union road and transport minister Nitin Gadkari via a Lok Sabha member.Calling his campaign a ‘Rasta Satyagraha’, Patil spent 29 days walking along NH-66 to document potholes, accident-prone stretches, missing road signs, incomplete bridges and other hazards that he said put commuters’ lives at risk.“My only goal is to make the Mumbai–Goa National Highway safe, accident-free and of good quality so that people can travel without fear,” Patil said, “People’s lives should not be at risk because of bad roads.”He began the walk on August 9 from Palaspe in Raigad and concluded it on October 20. Although heavy rains and health concerns forced him to take brief breaks during the journey, he remained undeterred.Who is Chaitanya PatilA 28-year-old engineering graduate from Kasu village in Raigad district, Chaitanya Patil has been raising concerns over the Mumbai–Goa Highway project since 2019.Over the years, he has approached authorities through phone calls, emails and social media campaigns, highlighting potholes, unfinished stretches and accident risks.“There are several instances where potholes I flagged were filled within 24 to 48 hours,” he said.Last year, he also prepared GPS-based photographic data for the Palaspe–Mangaon stretch and shared it with the chief minister, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and concerned district authorities, leading to partial repairs.59-point hazard report to GadkariDuring the walk, Patil identified 59 critical points and compiled extensive data, photographs and GPS-tagged evidence. He prepared a detailed report using digital tools, including QR codes, and submitted it to Union minister Nitin Gadkari through Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Arvind Sawant, HT has reported.He pointed out that nearly 75 to 85 km of work, including service roads, remains pending, particularly in stretches where bridge work has not been completed.Patil has also prepared GPS-based photographic data for several stretches of the highway, including the Palaspe–Mangaon section, which he shared with the chief minister, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and district authorities, leading to partial repairs in some areas.On-ground action during the walkDuring the journey, Patil also collected debris from the highway, including iron pieces, broken glass bottles and hoardings that he said had caused accidents or tyre punctures.“I have witnessed the Mumbai–Goa Highway work since childhood and have seen accidents and stalled projects up close,” Patil said.“This walk is an attempt to draw attention to issues that have cost people their lives,” he told HT.Patil met several political leaders during the walk. Chiplun MLA Bhaskar Jadhav accompanied him for a stretch of the journey, and Patil submitted his findings to Sunil Tatkare, Aditi Tatkare, Uday Samant and other local representatives too.(With inputs from Niraj Pandit)