Mumbai: Here's why roads are highway to hell during monsoon

Non-functional streetlights on several arterial roads, compounded by low visibility due to the heavy downpour, have made driving on Mumbai's roads a living nightmare

SV Road

If you think that potholes are the only problem inconveniencing motorists this season, you might want to think again. Non-functional streetlights on several arterial roads, compounded by low visibility due to the heavy downpour, have made driving on Mumbai's roads a living nightmare.

During an inspection of some of these arterial stretches in the city, mid-day found three spots that in all likelihood have become a hotbed for accidents.

The situation doesn’t get any better on SV Road near Malad station junction. A 50-metre stretch on this road has non-functional streetlights.

Amit Sangoi, a resident of Malad West said, "The uneven road surface and non-functional streetlights make this spot accident-prone. Apart from cars and bikes, even pedestrians crossing the road in the night, could be at risk."

Western Urban Road

The Western Urban Road, earlier known as the Western Express Highway, has now been taken over by the Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority due to construction work for the Dahisar Andheri East Metro stretch. While one would assume the road to be lit up in order to facilitate the ongoing Metro work, a portion of the stretch has made travel perilous. During a ride on the stretch between the flyover in Andheri and the Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road flyover in Jogeshwari, this reporter found that a 50m-stretch near Thakur complex in Kandivli East was in complete darkness.

Andheri Kurla Road

The Andheri Kurla Road road below the Versova Andheri Ghatkopar Metro is another busy route. Here too, 200m of the stretch did not have functional lights. Commuters, who get down from the station and take the road, are at risk from speeding motorists. This rstretch comes under the jurisdiction of the K East ward of the BMC. Locals said there have been no lights on this road for over a week now.

Chheda Nagar. Pics/ Pradeep Dhivar

On the north-bound Eastern Urban Road stretch of Chheda Nagar, around 200m of the road is currently in complete darkness. An accident during the wee hours of Friday, where a trailer turned turtle while taking a turn near the junction, is only one such case of how dangerous it could be to drive on this road.

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