Mumbai Traffic Police have decided to shut down vehicular movement under subways once the water level reaches half to one foot and heavy rainfall to prevent mishaps or casualties. Authorities will divert traffic if waterlogging is reported in subways.
Police said there is a risk of vehicles breaking down or getting washed away in waterlogged subways, so this decision was taken. Ahead of Monsoon 2024, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had announced a ‘Zero Casualty Mission,’ aiming to curb casualties during the rainy season.
“Earlier, we used to deploy traffic police personnel to manually prevent motorists from entering waterlogged subways. But it wouldn’t always work as not all would pay heed,” said a police officer, reported by the Times of India.
An 8-10-member BMC team has been deputed to tackle waterlogging in subways. “The team will function around the clock. They will keep cranes and large ropes ready in the eventuality of a vehicle getting stuck,” said an officer.