Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister Ashish Shelar has urged the chief minister to approve a helipad proposal, citing the recent Pune-Mumbai Expressway gas tanker mishap that stranded commuters for nearly 36 hours and exposed serious gaps in emergency and disaster response systems
Ashish Shelar pointed out that space for the helipad is already available at Bandra Reclamation. File pic/Ashish Raje
Mumbai commuters using the Coastal Road and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link may soon get quicker emergency and medical assistance if Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clears a proposal to set up a helipad near the city’s two key transport corridors.
Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister and BJP leader Ashish Shelar has urged the chief minister to approve the helipad, citing the recent Pune-Mumbai Expressway gas tanker mishap that left commuters stranded for nearly 36 hours and exposed gaps in emergency response systems.
In a letter to the CM on Friday, Shelar said handling accidents, fires, or natural disasters on the sea link and Coastal Road poses unique challenges, especially since portions of the Coastal Road run underground and alongside the sea.
“These conditions can delay the movement of rescue teams and the shifting of injured persons to hospitals. A helipad located close to this critical infrastructure will significantly improve response time,” Shelar wrote, stressing the need for swift decision-making.
He added that space for the helipad is already available at Bandra Reclamation and urged the state government to take an immediate call on the proposal.
Pune-Mumbai tragedy
The demand follows a major traffic snarl on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway earlier this week, after a tanker carrying highly inflammable propylene gas overturned near the Adoshi tunnel in Raigad, triggering a gas leak.
The incident led to traffic coming to a standstill for hours, with congestion stretching nearly 18 km. Traffic had to be diverted from both the expressway and the old Mumbai-Pune highway, and it took nearly 28 hours to fully bring the situation under control.
The prolonged disruption has raised concerns over Maharashtra’s disaster management preparedness, particularly for emergencies on high-speed corridors and major infrastructure projects.
Taking a cue from the incident, Shelar said a helipad near the Coastal Road and Sea Link would enable faster airlifting of the injured and allow emergency agencies to reach accident sites without being hampered by traffic congestion.
According to him, the facility would be a major boost for disaster response teams, including the police, fire brigade, NDRF and medical services.
Earlier proposal at Worli jetty
Earlier this year, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to explore setting up a helipad at the Worli jetty along the Coastal Road.
The civic body is considering converting the existing jetty, constructed during the Coastal Road project, into a helicopter landing facility. Located about 120 metres into the Arabian Sea near Worli Dairy, the jetty was earlier used for construction activity and later for coastal police surveillance.
A preliminary feasibility study has indicated that the jetty can support medium-sized helicopters for medical emergencies, disaster relief, marine surveillance and even tourism-related operations.
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