The Bombay High Court (HC) has sent a notice to the Maharashtra government over the lack of restrooms on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. The court was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Raju Thakker, a lawyer based in the city.
Thakker raised concerns about the shortage of basic toilet facilities on the busy highway. The petition was heard by a division bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice MS Karnik.
In response, the court issued notices to the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) and the Public Works Department (PWD). The departments have been asked to submit their replies before the next hearing, on June 13.
The lawyer said the journey between Mumbai and Pune takes two to four hours. He said toilets are important for travellers. He also pointed out that the state government had promised in May 2018 to build around 400 restrooms on state highways. The plan included building toilets every 100 kilometres.
To find out the current situation, Thakker filed two applications under the Right to Information Act. The reply he received showed that only two restrooms exist along the expressway. One is at Talegaon Toll Plaza. The other is at Khalapur Toll Plaza.
Thakker has asked the court to order the construction of more restrooms along the expressway. He also brought attention to the poor waste management at the existing facilities. He said there are no sanitary waste incinerators, which makes the situation unhealthy and harmful to the environment.
The petition states that the MSRDC is responsible for the road's construction, maintenance, and management. It claims the agency has failed to provide clean and accessible public toilets on the route.
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