Vehicles move through traffic congestion on P D'Mello Road amid protest by Maratha Kranti Morcha activists demanding Maratha reservation, in Mumbai.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: The Maratha quota protests and torrential rainfall lead to a massive road traffic mess in Mumbai on Friday even as a woman died after a retaining wall collapsed.
Besides, the immersion of the three-day idols during the ongoing Ganeshotsav festivities too were carried out in Mumbai amid the rainfall with the police and lifeguards maintaining alert.
While Mumbai was placed under yellow alert, the neighbouring districts Thane and Palghar too were placed under yellow alert and Raigad under red alert.
“Heavy to very heavy rainfall is very likely to occur at isolated places in the districts of Konkan-Goa,” according to the forecast by the Mumbai-based Regional Meteorological Centre.
In Mumbai, a rain-related casualty was reported when part of a retaining wall in the Gulab Baba society at Saki Naka in Kurla collapsed killing a 45-year-old woman.
Thousands of members of the Maratha community spilled onto the roads leading to Azad Maidan in south Mumbai and there was chockablock situation off the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation headquarters and Mahapalika Marg - as Maratha leader Manoj Jarange-Patil launched agitation.
Even BEST buses and other vehicles could not move for over 30 minutes during the morning peak hours. Several of the protesters also went to the Gateway of India, Mantralaya and Vidhan Bhavan later in the day.
Early in the morning, there was a severe traffic jam on the Eastern Freeway. Movement of vehicles on the CMST-Church Gate was slow during the day.
Heavy rains also led to water-logging at several places including the chronic spot of Andheri Subway, which was under two to two-and-a-half-feet water post-noon, however, in the evening, the situation eased.
According to the police, the PD’Mello Road, Wallchand Hirachand Marg, Dr Dadabhai Naoroji Road and Hazarimal Somani Road were closed for all types of vehicular traffic except emergency service vehicles.
Over 1,500 Mumbai police personnel have been deployed at Azad Maidan to maintain law and order.
There was more crowd in the local trains in the morning hours and people found difficulty in getting taxis to their workplaces in business districts like Nariman Point, Fort, Kalabadevi, and Crawford Market.