The movement of heavy vehicles coming towards Mumbai from Gujarat will be completely prohibited in Palghar district of Maharashtra on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway from Saturday afternoon to Sunday night as a large number of people are expected to attend the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony on April 16, officials said.

A notification to this effect was issued by the Palghar district authorities on Thursday.

The coveted Maharashtra Bhushan award for 2023 will be conferred on renowned social worker Appasaheb Dharmadhikari at a function at Kharghar in Navi Mumbai on Sunday.

The notification says that the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway (NH-48) will be completely shut for heavy vehicles coming from Gujarat towards Thane and Navi Mumbai from 2 pm on April 15 to 11 pm on April 16.

However, light motor vehicles and those involved in essential services, like ambulances, will be allowed to use the highway during this period, it said.

The vehicles moving towards Gujarat from Mumbai metropolitan region can use the highway as usual during this period, the police clarified.

"Union minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, several ministers and public representatives will attend the Maharashtra Bhushan award ceremony. Apart from them, 50 lakh to 70 lakh people will remain present there. So in order to avoid any major accident or traffic jam on the highway, the heavy vehicles coming from Gujarat and going towards Thane and Navi Mumbai will be prohibited," the notification said.

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