NHAI must reflect on working method

ALREADY facing the heat over a 40-hour traffic jam that resulted in three deaths last week, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is being strongly criticised for its handling of the issue. Its stance in the Madhya Pradesh High Court has been termed callous and insensitive, reflecting a mindset that is unaffected by the ground reality. During the hearing on a public interest litigation, the NHAI was pulled up for faulty and delayed roadwork that led to the gridlock on the Indore-Dewas section of the Agra-Mumbai National Highway. Its legal counsel’s remark — “Why do people even leave home so early without any work?” — has sparked outrage. Where an apology was needed, the road authority chose to shift the blame.