‘Dying Would Be Better’: Fed Up With Traffic, Mumbai Highway Residents Write To PM Modi

Last Updated:October 18, 2025, 18:20 IST

Over 100 Naigaon-Chinchoti-Vasai residents wrote to PM Modi seeking permission to die by suicide, protesting NH-48 traffic jams and poor road conditions affecting daily life.

Stranded students stand near a pavement amid a traffic jam on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway at Vasai, in Palghar district, Maharashtra, early Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025. (PTI)

Frustrated and deeply distressed by unending traffic jams and dilapidated road conditions on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad National Highway, over 100 residents from the Naigaon-Chinchoti-Vasai area have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking permission to die by suicide.

In protest, residents of villages such as Sasunavghar, Maljipada, Sasupada, Bobat Pada and Patharpada in the Naigaon-Chinchoti-Vasai belt gathered on the highway itself, stating that what used to be a one-hour commute has stretched into five or six hours, putting their livelihoods, education, health, and daily lives under severe strain.

Locals say that worsening potholes, unregulated traffic, and poor road management have turned their everyday travel into an ordeal.

As per media reports, large groups gathered at the Sasoonghar post office to mail their letters to the Prime Minister on Thursday. The letters, described as a “cry of despair," demand urgent attention to the worsening traffic situation.

“Dying would be better than living like this," Sushant Patil, an activist with a local NGO spearheading the protests, said as quoted by Hindustan Times.

“The ordeal is insufferable. Children in the villages have missed their exams, and people have missed their flights. Medical emergencies are also a matter of serious concern, as the nearest hospital is in Mira Road. Usually, you could reach the hospital in 20 minutes, but now it is also taking more than three hours," he said.

In a letter to PM Modi, the residents claimed that their daily life has been affected due to the alleged negligence of the project director of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and other officials.

The protesters further blamed the worsening traffic on the pothole-ridden highway and poor traffic management by the authorities.

They said that they have repeatedly appealed to authorities and organised protests, but no concrete steps have been taken to ease their troubles. “We have written in our letter why we are forced to die by suicide," a citizen said.

Stressing that the lives of people living in these villages completely depend on the NH-48, Patil said that the residents would continue to protest until action is taken.

The residents in their letter demanded, “We urge the government to address these demands immediately. If the administration continues to remain inactive, we citizens will be left with no option but to seek permission to die by suicide in protest against this gross negligence."

Linking Maharashtra and Gujarat, NH-48 serves as a vital economic lifeline, cutting across Mumbai, Thane, and Pune. Yet, even as other parts of the country witness rapid completion of expressways, tunnels, and metro projects, this crucial highway continues to frustrate daily commuters.

For residents of Vasai-Virar, NH-48 is the only viable route to Mumbai. Alternatives such as the Ro-Ro ferry service are frequently overcrowded, with queues stretching to 100–125 vehicles, forcing commuters to add at least five extra hours to their journey. Elderly residents, who cannot depend on train travel, rely entirely on this heavily congested highway.

Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway Traffic Woes

Earlier this week, traffic congestion on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway left thousands of commuters and truck drivers stranded for hours amid mounting frustration.

From ambulances stuck in long queues to passengers missing flights and trains, the disruption has exposed the highway’s chronic infrastructure problems.

The massive gridlock, stretching across several kilometres near Vasai and Palghar, was reportedly triggered by ongoing road repair work and the diversion of heavy vehicles.

A total of 12 buses carrying students from classes 5 to 10 of different schools, as well as some college students from Thane and Mumbai, were stuck in the jam from around 5:30 pm on Tuesday until early Wednesday morning.

The children, returning from a school picnic near Virar, reportedly spent several hours without food or water. By evening, many were exhausted, hungry, and anxious, while worried parents anxiously awaited updates on their safety.

Shobhit Gupta

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...Read More

Shobhit Gupta is a sub-editor at News18.com and covers India and International news. He is interested in day to day political affairs in India and geopolitics. He earned his BA Journalism (Hons) degree from Ben...

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