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Every year, thousands of people from Konkan return to Mumbai after celebrating Ganeshotsav, but this year too, they faced immense inconvenience on the journey back. The Mumbai-Goa highway, dotted with incomplete construction works, potholes, and poor planning by highway police and district authorities, led to massive traffic jams. Vehicles were stranded for hours at several spots including Sangameshwar, Mangaon, Indapur, Pen, and Palaspe. Normally, the journey takes 8 to 10 hours, but this time it stretched between 16 and 21 hours, causing severe discomfort, especially to children and senior citizens returning after Ganpati and Gauri immersion. Travelers narrated their ordeal, highlighting how the return trip turned into a nightmare. Harshad Parab, a resident of Thane, started his journey from Vengurla at 7 am on Wednesday by car. For a distance of 400 kilometers, he ended up spending 21 hours on the road. Ongoing construction along the highway, diversion routes, and the sudden rush of lakhs of vehicles at the same time resulted in unprecedented gridlocks. At Sangameshwar, an incomplete bridge project worsened the situation, while the narrow old bridge choked traffic. Potholes near Mangaon, Indapur, Poladpur, Pen, and Palaspe further added to the misery of motorists. Initially, the police, home guards, and district administration had made systematic arrangements for travelers heading towards Konkan for the festival, ensuring relatively smooth journeys. However, the return scenario was entirely different. The massive traffic volume overwhelmed the authorities, leaving police and local administration helpless. Ambulances carrying patients were also caught in the jams, raising concerns about emergency response. The disorderly return journey turned stressful for families, many of whom were forced to endure long hours without basic amenities. For several, what began as a festive trip ended with exhaustion and frustration on the road. Adding to the travelers’ woes, restaurants and eateries along the highway were overcrowded, with customers waiting one to two hours for food. Many hotel owners hiked prices of essentials like water bottles, soft drinks, and meals due to soaring demand. Staff shortages worsened the chaos, leading to disputes at some locations. With hotels overflowing, some families had to settle for tea and snacks, while others managed with home-packed meals like chutney and bhakri. The sudden rush created a shortage of both space and food, further testing the patience of already tired and hungry travelers stuck in traffic delays. Fuel supply also turned into a challenge, as long queues formed outside petrol pumps. For CNG in particular, vehicle owners had to wait between one and two hours to refuel. This added to the frustration since drivers had already lost hours in traffic congestion. The combination of highway jams, delays in finding meals, and extended waits for fuel multiplied the hardships faced by Konkan residents returning to Mumbai. What should have been a safe and predictable journey instead became a marathon of waiting, stress, and physical exhaustion, especially for families with children and elderly passengers. Even rail travel offered no relief. The Konkan Railway services, including the special trains arranged for Ganeshotsav, ran behind schedule. Regular trains were delayed by one to two hours, while special festival trains were reported to be late by five to six hours. Many commuters who opted for rail travel to avoid the highway gridlock were left disappointed as well. The widespread delays caused frustration among passengers who were eager to return home after the festive celebrations. Both road and rail travel turned out to be equally taxing, leaving commuters with bitter memories of their Ganeshotsav return journey.

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