Rain in Bombay slows down traffic and causes potholes on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad motorway

The Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) was caught off guard by the constant rain when all of the area's main thoroughfares were severely flooded on Wednesday, disrupting the life of the locals. In addition to sections with potholes, a significant traffic delay due to waterlogging was seen on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad route.
After the first downpour of this monsoon, which caused the roads at Sasunavghar on the highway to become severely waterlogged, the traffic jam had left drivers angry.

"There is another spot where the water is 2.5 feet high, close to Welcome Dhaba. The first rainstorm caused the roads of Selfie Dhaba, where this new location is located, to get flooded, according to Traffic Inspector Sagar Ingole of the Mira Bhayandar Vasai-Virar (MBVV) police.

Police in knee-deep water
Police had to risk their lives while knee-deep in water to control traffic. From Kashimira to Welcome Dhaba, the roads are congested on both sides, according to Ingole.
Milk distributors who regularly go from their tabelas (dairies) in Vasai to Borivli on the highway reported around midday that the flow of traffic was incredibly slow. Owner of Indian Dairy in Vasai Mehndi Ali said, "Drivers are terrified to drive on the flooded road, which is littered with potholes.

Mehndi Ali stated, "Before, it would just take us a little over an hour to get to Mumbai, but today it took us four hours because the highway is pitifully flooded and the length is dotted with potholes.

Ahmed Ali, the secretary of the Milk Producer Welfare Association, said: "Milk spoils quickly since we can't preserve it for a long time. We will suffer a significant loss if milk trucks were stuck in traffic. Our financial situation has already been harmed by a traffic jam on the motorway. The relevant authorities need to investigate this and provide a solution.

Police struggle in vain to maintain traffic on the stretch of road with potholes.

According to Ahmed Ali, the milk tankers were using the Bhiwandi route to get from Vasai to Mumbai.

In the meantime, the Mehndi Ali reported at midday that the Kaman village of Vasai has around 8,000 buffaloes spread out among 46 tabelas. "Many children, the elderly, hotels, restaurants, and others will have to deal with the cascading effect of traffic congestion on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad highway," he warned. "If the milk is not supplied in Mumbai on time."

"The roads surrounding Chinchoti, Maljipada, and Sasunavghar are dotted with potholes, and it is dangerous to drive loaded vehicles on such stretches if they are heavily waterlogged," Mehndi Ali continued.

Between Chinchoti and Fountain Hotel Junction on the southbound stretch, there is a major traffic jam. Meanwhile, the traffic is backed up on the northbound stretch between Maljipada and the Delhi Darbar Hotel in Kashimira. It is a long distance, measuring at least 12 to 15 km, he claimed.

Bhadruddin Qureshi, a milk truck driver, who is 48 years old, said, "I have to travel from Chinchoti to Borivli to deliver milk every day. The average time it takes me to go somewhere is 45 to 60 minutes. But now that the monsoon has arrived, it will take me three to four hours to get there. Near Sasunavghar, Kinara Dhaba, and Maljipada, there are potholes.

The milk spoils, he continued, if it is not delivered on time. roughly fifteen days ago 

He continued by saying that milk spoils if it is not delivered on time. "This occurred around 15 days ago. I felt horrible because there was nothing I could do, he said.

The police don't aid us, and we're not permitted to drive on the right side, Qureshi criticised the authorities. They levy penalties. The flow of traffic is stagnant.

"Traffic at Maljipada is unavoidable, I travel to Delhi every day," a truck driver said in the middle of the day. I now need 48 hours to get there instead of the normal 22 hours. The state of the roads is appalling. Potholes and waterlogging are present. Police assistance is of little use to us. They attempt to levy fines for absurd justifications.

Milk van driver Dev Yadav, 40, stated, "Today, I travelled from Kandivli to Chinchoti, and the entire trip took three hours. There are numerous potholes in Maljipada. It probably lacks a road. Accidents are a given when there is flooding and poor road conditions. I must exercise caution and avoid craters. Driving on these roads is challenging.

ambulances were delayed
Even ambulances, according to Yadav, were being delayed on the highway. Even ambulances must wait because of the scenario. The ambulance can travel because of the cooperation of the public and the government, but it takes time and could be hazardous, he warned.

All of the drivers claimed that the prolonged time spent in traffic behind the wheel had caused them to experience back pain.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and VVCMC must provide an adequate drainage system to prevent waterlogging on the highway, according to the proprietors of hotels, resorts, and dhabas that were recently largely destroyed in an anti-encroachment drive.

Why do dhabas along the roadway continue to be flooded despite the authorities' strict enforcement of the law? The VVCMC neglected to clean nullahs, which inevitably become blocked during the monsoon, despite the fact that the officials claim that the high water level is to blame for waterlogging. Also, the highway's whole span lacks an effective drainage system, according to a hotel owner.