A startling plea has emerged from the fringe villages alongside the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway (NH-48) in Maharashtra. Frustrated by worsening traffic chaos, dilapidated road conditions and what they say is indifferent administration, more than a hundred villagers have written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking permission to end their lives by suicide. Their message is as shocking as it is sorrowful: “Dying would be better than living like this.”

In protest, residents of villages such as Sasunavghar, Maljipada, Sasupada, Bobat Pada and Patharpada in the Naigaon-Chinchoti-Vasai belt gathered on the highway itself, stating that what used to be a one-hour commute has ballooned into five or six hours, putting their livelihoods, education, health and daily lives under severe strain.

Lives halted by highway mayhem

The villagers point to a daily existence caught in gridlock. “Children in villages have missed their exams, and people have missed their flights,” says Sushant Patil of a local NGO, who is among those galvanising the protest. “Medical emergencies are also a matter of serious concern, as the nearest hospital is in Mira Road. Usually you could reach it in 20 minutes, but now it is also taking more than three hours.”

The underlying causes, as put by the protesting residents, are manifold. The highway, they allege, is riddled with potholes and in a state of disrepair. Traffic management is alleged to be weak. Heavy vehicles are said to be moving unchecked despite directed restrictions. In one letter to the Prime Minister, the villagers point out that a recent order by the Mira-Bhayander/Vasai-Virar police commissionerate to halt heavy-vehicle movement in certain zones during repair work was flouted – the result being “massive traffic jams and paralysed daily life in the Naigaon-Chinchoti region.”

What once served as a short, manageable journey for residents has become a seemingly endless ordeal. The protest has made one grim point clear: the stress has reached a tipping point where some believe living this way is unbearable.

Administrative lapse and local rage

In their letter to the Prime Minister, the villagers laid out demands, including immediate filling of potholes, action against negligent officials of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), strict traffic control especially over heavy vehicles, and assured emergency medical access for residents.

In response to the agitation, the Vasai-Virar and Mira-Bhayander region police announced changes: the Chinchoti traffic branch was shut down and jurisdiction for highway traffic management redistributed.

Still, residents say their experiences reveal systemic neglect. The letter states: “Despite submitting multiple representations, no concrete action has been taken. We therefore strongly demand that disciplinary action be taken against these officials.”

The scale of the problem is also underscored by accident statistics. According to earlier official figures, over thirty people died in more than fifty serious accidents on the same stretch of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway between January and June 2025.

What this protest symbolises

Beyond the raw statistics and demands, this protest raises deeper questions about infrastructure, governance and equity. The highway NH-48 is one of India’s key arterial routes, linking Mumbai to Ahmedabad and beyond. Yet for the residents who live next to it, it has become a barrier, not a convenience. Their protest symbolises the frustration of marginalised communities for whom promised development has delivered disruption.

Their dramatic step – writing to the Prime Minister asking for a suicide permit – reflects a breakdown of faith. When channels of redress feel unresponsive, when choices become limited, despair sets in. The villagers’ message is stark: when your roads trap you, your chances of escaping diminish – whether it is reaching a hospital in time, getting to school or earning a living.

It also signals to authorities the human cost of failing road maintenance and traffic regulation. Despite the highway’s national importance, local consequences have accumulated. The districts of Mira-Bhayander, Vasai-Virar and surrounding villages have borne the brunt of daily chaos.

What lies ahead

The authorities now face a dual challenge: to respond swiftly to immediate demands – road repair, traffic control, medical access – and to rebuild trust among communities who feel overlooked. A public inquiry into the stretch of NH-48 in question, followed by a visible plan and timeline, would likely help ease the anxieties. Meanwhile, authorities must ensure that emergency services remain accessible and that heavy vehicles, repair works and traffic diversions are managed without stranding villages.

For the residents, the protest is ongoing until action is visible. They say their lives are on hold – and the dramatic nature of their letter is a wake-up call. Whether the authorities respond with urgency remains to be seen. But the message is clear: infrastructure that fails to serve the people becomes a source of despair.

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