Why Is Maharashtra Demolishing Highway Dhabas? The 60-Day Deadline Explained
News explainers Why Is Maharashtra Demolishing Highway Dhabas? The 60-Day Deadline Explained Why Is Maharashtra Demolishing Highway Dhabas? The 60-Day Deadline Explained Published By, Last
News explainers Why Is Maharashtra Demolishing Highway Dhabas? The 60-Day Deadline Explained Why Is Maharashtra Demolishing Highway Dhabas? The 60-Day Deadline Explained Published By, Last Updated: August 11, 2026, 12:16 IST Maharashtra’s crackdown follows a fatal November 2025 crash in Rajasthan’s Phalodi, where a tempo hit a truck parked near a highway eatery, killing 15 people. Rapid Read The move follows a nationwide road-safety intervention by the Supreme Court in April 2026, triggered by a fatal highway accident in Rajasthan The Maharashtra government has directed municipal corporations, municipal councils and nagar panchayats across the state to remove or demolish unauthorised structures located within the Right of Way (ROW) of national highways. The deadline for the same is 60 days. At the same time, the state has prohibited the construction or operation of new dhabas, eateries and other commercial establishments within the highway ROW. Existing licences and approvals in highway safety zones will also be reviewed. The move follows a nationwide road-safety intervention by the Supreme Court in April 2026, triggered by a fatal highway accident in Rajasthan. What Maharashtra Order On Highway Dhabas Says The Maharashtra Urban Development Department has asked all urban local bodies to strictly implement the Supreme Court’s directions. The immediate focus is on unauthorised structures within the Right of Way of national highways. District Magistrates have been given 60 days to enforce the removal or demolition of new and existing unauthorised structures, following the applicable legal procedure. Importantly, this does not mean that every dhaba or hotel situated near a national highway is automatically illegal or will be demolished. The critical question is where the establishment stands and whether it has the required permissions. The government order specifically prohibits new dhabas, eateries and commercial structures within the highway’s ROW. It also says that no department, authority or local body should grant or renew a licence, NOC or trade approval for sites within highway safety zones without prior clearance from the Highways Authority of India (NHAI) or the Public Works Department, as applicable.
Existing licences at such sites are to be reviewed within 30 days. What Is The ‘Right Of Way’? The term ROW can be confusing because it does not simply mean the strip of road on which vehicles drive. A highway’s Right of Way is the larger stretch of land acquired or reserved for the highway and associated infrastructure. It can include the carriageway, shoulders, drainage systems, embankments, service infrastructure and land required for the road’s present or future requirements. That is why a restaurant or shop can appear to be sitting “beside" a highway to a motorist while technically falling within the highway’s ROW. Structures built or operating without the necessary authorisation inside this area can therefore obstruct highway operations, create access points and increase risks for vehicles entering or leaving the road. The Maharashtra order is specifically aimed at such unauthorised occupation and construction. The Trigger: Road Safety The immediate background is a deadly accident in Rajasthan. In November 2025, at least 15 people were killed and two injured in a collision in Phalodi district. A tempo collided with a truck that had reportedly been parked beside the highway near an eatery. The tempo was attempting to overtake another vehicle when it hit the parked truck. The accident eventually became part of a broader Supreme Court examination of safety conditions on national highways. In its April 13, 2026 order in the suo motu proceedings concerning the Phalodi accident, the Supreme Court took a wider view of highway safety. The court was concerned not merely with the actions of individual drivers but with the infrastructure and enforcement failures that can turn highways into dangerous stretches. The court subsequently issued directions dealing with unauthorised structures, parking and land-use restrictions along national highways. What Are The 40-Metre And 75-Metre Rules? One of the most significant parts of the Supreme Court’s directions concerns land use around national highways.
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