Immersion woes: Mumbaiites caught in traffic snarls

Vehicular traffic in many parts of the city slowed down considerably due to the Ganpati visarjan festivities on Sunday.

Vehicular traffic in many parts of the city slowed down considerably due to the Ganpati visarjan festivities on Sunday.

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Commuters were left fuming as they rubbished the Mumbai police’s claims of a smooth traffic flow. The traffic police, on the other hand, claimed that though traffic was not at its regular pace at few places, on most roads it was smooth.

"Traffic is slow on Peddar Road and RAK road in Wadala, but in the rest of the city, it is clear," said an officer from the traffic control room. The police said they have undertaken adequate, elaborate steps to ensure smooth traffic flow on immersion days. They had deployed over 2,000 personnel along with volunteers from NGOs to man vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Commuters, however, claimed that traffic was moving at a snail’s pace at Shivaji Park, Worli, Santacruz, Malad Link Road, Juhu, SV Road from Bandra to Goregaon, and several other places near immersion spots. "It took me an hour to cross Peddar Road, but when I reached Shivaji Park the traffic even more pathetic," said Saroj Lala, a veterinary doctor from Mahim.

Another commuter wondered if the traffic situation was so chaotic on the first day of immersion, what would happen later. "I can imagine what would happen on the last day when the big mandals are on the roads," he said.