Dahi Handi celebrations supplemented by traffic snarls in Mumbai

While numerous human pyramids were formed across the city owing to the festival, Dahi Handi celebrations led to vehicles on streets being packed like sardines in a can. Despite being a holiday for many businesses and offices, motorists were stuck in jams that lasted till dusk.

Shikha Gaikwad, a resident of Vakola, said, "It was a working day for me and I ended up reaching my office in Lower Parel at 2:30pm for a meeting scheduled at 1pm. The route till Vakola bridge itself took half an hour and the traffic along Tulsi Pipe Road was horrible, especially near the Dadar bridge where around five human pyramids were being formed."

According to traffic officials, jams were reported in most major roads, including SV Road – from Santacruz to Andheri, Sion-Panvel highway, LBS Road, Mankhurd railway station road, Ghatkopar, Malad-Borivali belt of the Western Express Highway, tulsi Pipe Road and Malad to Dahisar belt of Link Road.

Quaiser Khalid, additional commissioner of traffic said, "We deployed our traffic personnel across the city to control the crowd and ensure no untoward incidents happen. More than the pyramids, it is the onlookers that block the roads and cause jams."

Another cause of concern was the number of violations that commuters witness. "There are too many diversions in Vile Parle and it took me half an hour to exit Nehru road.

Govindas on roads are jumping signals, going on triples, travel along one-way roads and blocking the motorists. In some areas, there are no cops to control the crowd," said Disha Agarwal, a student. Many commuters felt that travelling by train was safer and faster than taking the road, as there were jams formed at every junction.