The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is expected to give its suggestions on the technical changes that need to be carried out on NH 3 to allow movement of the machinery in a few days. It will also ask the NTPC to ensure that more trucks and a specialised trailer for the machinery are pressed into service to get the power machinery out of the narrow ghat section of the highway.

The huge power machinery for the first unit of the 1980 MW power plant weighs over 370 tonnes and is being used for the first time in India. Given the specifications of the machinery, it could not be moved as the highway section, especially near Kasara Ghat (between Mumbai and Nashik), had not been suitably changed and upgraded for carrying this machinery.

While the NTPC claims the survey for transporting this machinery was carried out a long time ago, NHAI officials told The Indian Express that they received a formal request on the modifications that needed to be made only a few days ago. They also said it was the Maharashtra Government, which did not allow movement of the machines, as it would lead to traffic jams on this busy section of the highway.

After being moved out of the Mumbai Port on a specialised trailer with as a many as 200 wheels, the machinery could not be taken across the ghat section due to the gradient. In order to overcome this problem, one of the suggestions was to level the road, as this would also ensure that the machinery does not slip.

However, it is learnt that the NHAI, after receiving a formal request for modifications, has not agreed to undertake the exercise, as the highway was already being upgraded under the NHDP III programme. Instead, they are expected to ask NTPC to deploy more trucks and have standby trailers to ensure this machinery gets off the ghat section. However, NHAI has agreed to cut some of the rocks to allow this machinery to pass through.

Deployment of these additional specialised trailers is expected to take time. There will be also be several trucks and trailers moving at very slow pace, and the state Government would have to agree to restrict traffic movement on this route for a few days, failing which there would be severe traffic jams.

Sources said the final decision on when and how the power machinery moves forward and reaches the plant site in Chhattisgarh rests with the Maharashtra Government.