When a chemical tanker toppled on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway last week, it triggered a jam. But it turned into a bigger pile-up on the busy carriageway after the highway officials sprayed water on the spilt chemical, which solidified and stuck to the road. Officials said the incident brings to the fore the lack of SOPs for chemical spills and gas leaks on the highways.

Around 5.30 am on March 27, a tanker carrying a chemical overturned near the Amrutanjan Bridge on the E-way, spilling the chemical over 300 metres. As first responders, staff from IRB that manages the E-way reached the spot and tried to wash it away.