The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the state government in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) demanding urgent repairs and maintenance of two national highways. The PIL also calls for measures to prevent cattle from sitting on the roads, according to the petitioner’s counsel.
Focus on NH-43 and NH-45 in PIL
The division bench, led by Acting Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf, issued the notices on Tuesday during a hearing of the PIL filed by Jabalpur-based lawyer Pranjal Tiwari. The PIL specifically addresses the poor condition of NH-43, which connects Jabalpur and Gwalior via Sagar, and NH-45, which links Jabalpur and Bhopal.
Tiwari’s counsel, Pramod Singh Tomar, stated that the petition seeks a directive for the NHAI, the Madhya Pradesh government, and the Public Works Department (PWD) to repair and maintain these highways. The PIL highlights that tolls are collected on both highways, but maintenance is lacking, leading to dangerous conditions for motorists.
“The highways have pothole-ridden sections, and cattle sitting on the roads often cause accidents, resulting in human fatalities and obstructing the smooth flow of traffic,” Tomar said, adding that the petition references news reports on the issue.
The next hearing for the case is scheduled for September 26.