2 minutes of readingBombayFebruary 6, 2026 04:38 pm IST

Mumbai Suburban Guardian Minister Ashish Shelar on Friday called for a robust and future-proof emergency management framework for Bandra-Worli Sea Link, Versova-Bandra Sea Link and Coastal Highway in view of the recent accident of a gas tanker on the Pune-Mumbai Expressway, which left passengers stranded for over 36 hours.

In a representation presented to the Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra FadnavisIt has been stated that, in the event of accidents, fires or natural disasters in these critical corridors, providing an immediate and effective response could be a great challenge. In particular, since the Coast Highway includes underground tunnels and maritime sections, the rapid evacuation of the injured, fast the movement of security forces and timely access of emergency services could become extremely difficult.

In this context, Shelar has called for urgent construction of a helipad at Bandra Reclamation, near Sea Link. He noted that adequate space is available at the site and asked Fadnavis to take an immediate decision and issue necessary directions to the agencies concerned.

“The construction of a helipad would enable quick evacuation of the injured through air ambulances during emergencies on Coastal Road and Sea Link. It would also facilitate quick access to Lilavati Hospital and other major hospitals in the surrounding areas. This initiative would significantly improve coordination between disaster management agencies, police, fire services, NDRF and other departments, thereby strengthening the long-term emergency preparedness plan for Bombay – the densely populated financial capital of the country,” Shelar said on his behalf.