The result: Traffic jams which leave citizens stranded for over ten hours, even twelve hours at times. Here, even minor accidents end up causing chaos.

According to Chandmal Parmar, managing trustee of Kum Rajashree Parmar Memorial Foundation, the density of the traffic on the two-lane National Highway no. 4 between Dehu Road and Lonavla exceeds 36,000 passenger car units (PCU) - units used for measuring the load capacity of the road per day - increasing up to 45,000 PCU. The ideal PCU should be just around 15,000.

The recent traffic snarl near Karla Phata on November 15 saw vehicles standing at a single point for more than 12 hours. What is more, the messy traffic jam took authorities over 72 hours to normalise the traffic. In another two instances, traffic on the highway came to a standstill for more than 10 hours.

A study conducted by the foundation on the National Highway no. 4 has brought some interesting facts to light. According to Parmar the high density of traffic on the narrow 36 km stretch between Dehu Road bypass and Lonavla is one of the chief reasons for traffic jams. Some of the major trouble spots identified by the study on National Highway no 4 from the 26 km milestone where the Dehu Road bypass begins include - Wadgaon, Kamshet, Pathargaon Khind, Indrayani Railway and river bridge, Karla Phata, Valwan and Lonavla.

Parmar said that although a sum of Rs. 110 crore has been allocated by the Centre to convert the stretch from Dehu Road to Khandala into a four lane road, he alleged that the State Government had diverted these funds elsewhere. Meanwhile, the National Highway no 4 has now been handed over to National Highway Authority of India (NHAI).

NHAI recently floated tenders of Rs. 100 crore for converting the stretch from Katraj to Dehu Road bypass into a four lane road. The study mentions that since the land for widening this stretch is available with the Public Works Department (PWD), works estimated at around Rs. 130 crore can be immediately taken on hand. Even then the widening process will require at least two years, Parmar said.

Meanwhile, Parmar suggests, barricades be set up between Sheel Phata in Khopoli and Wadgaon traffic aid post in case of a traffic jam to prevent the situation from worsening. Following this, the high police should immediately inform the ST stands in Pune, Lonavla and Khopoli to prevent new buses from adding to the chaos. He also suggests putting up boards warning people about the ongoing traffic jam, near Sheel Phata, outside Khandala Traffic aid, Wadgaon Traffic aid post, Talegaon Chakan Phata and all police outposts on the highway.

The police could also use an announcing system to appraise travellers of the situation. In case the blockade is likely to be lengthy, the police could direct some vehicles to a nearby dhabha. Parmar also suggests setting up a special branch of the highway police and rural police near the Wadgaon Maval tehsil office. Parmar plans to fax a copy of the memorandum to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and also meet the Public Works Department minister Vikramsinh Patankar in the next two days on this issue.