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The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has announced stricter safety regulations governing the movement of hazardous cargo on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, aiming to reduce risks following a prolonged tanker accident that caused major disruption. Under the revised norms, consigners and consignees of highly flammable and dangerous goods will now be held directly accountable for safety compliance throughout transit. MSRDC will work closely with highway police and commodity firms to tighten checks and introduce a specialised emergency traffic management plan for hazardous consignments, as directed by the state's deputy chief minister. Officials also said a committee chaired by a senior expert will review the recent incident to recommend corrective measures and standard operating procedures. The move follows scrutiny of emergency response gaps revealed during the extensive delay caused by a tanker overturning on the expressway.
The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has announced that it will implement tighter safety regulations for hazardous cargo transported along the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, in response to concerns raised after a recent major accident on the route. Under the revised enforcement approach, consigners and consignees of highly flammable or dangerous materials will be held responsible for ensuring safety compliance throughout the transit process, a senior MSRDC official said. Advertisement
The move follows an accident earlier this month in which a tanker carrying highly flammable propylene gas overturned on the expressway's Khandala Ghat section, triggering a 30-hour traffic standstill that left thousands of commuters stranded and produced hazardous conditions on one of the state's busiest road corridors. Emergency services were deployed to manage the situation and divert traffic while the hazardous cargo was safely transferred, but the incident highlighted weaknesses in preparedness for handling chemical emergencies on major highways.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has directed MSRDC and the highway police to develop a specialised emergency traffic management plan specifically for hazardous consignments, and to expedite related infrastructure projects to provide alternative routes and reduce congestion during incidents, the official added. A committee chaired by a former president of the Indian Roads Congress in New Delhi will analyse lapses in the recent response and recommend corrective measures and standard operating procedures for future situations.
Under the proposed framework, tighter checks on hazardous cargo consignments will be conducted before and during transit, with an emphasis on verifying route suitability, driver training and load security. The MSRDC will also engage directly with firms transporting dangerous goods to ensure compliance with safety norms and to coordinate with highway patrol units for monitoring.
Officials said that these regulations form part of a broader effort to enhance risk mitigation strategies on the expressway, improve response times during emergencies and reduce the likelihood of extended disruptions. Recent expert commentary on the accident has pointed to systemic gaps in dedicated hazardous materials response capability along the route, underscoring the urgency of such reforms.
The tightened norms are expected to be rolled out in the coming weeks as part of the MSRDC's ongoing safety and traffic management programme for the expressway, which serves as a critical freight and commuter link between Maharashtra's two largest cities.
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