India, July 26 -- A 14-year old promise to deliver one of Maharashtra's flagship expressways - the Mumbai-Goa National Highway - has unravelled into a journey of endless suffering: broken bones, social dislocation, lost livelihoods and damaged vehicles. And here's the ironic twist - in many places, tattered stretches and cratered surfaces are so dangerous that motorists are forced to take detours along service roads and bypasses.

Now, the villagers are pushing back. On July 28, residents and traders from Sangameshwar in Ratnagiri district will gather in protest along the highway, demanding a solution to its pitiable condition and a timeline for completion.

"The highway is ruining our businesses, putting lives at risk, and causing immens...