The five-day-long Maratha quota protest, led by activist Manoj Jarange-Patil at Azad Maidan, concluded peacefully on Tuesday, bringing a palpable wave of relief across Mumbai. For the city’s weary commuters and the police officers who had been working round the clock, it felt like the city could finally exhale after days of gridlock and chaos.
Security Blanket Over South Mumbai
Since August 29, South Mumbai had been under tight security as police managed swelling crowds, barricades, and never-ending traffic snarls. For four straight days, motorists crawling through the Vashi toll naka endured hour-long delays.
Traffic Relief at Vashi Toll Naka
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After days of crippling jams, traffic at the Vashi toll naka finally began moving smoothly on Tuesday afternoon, following the state government’s Government Resolution (GR) on Maratha reservation.
Police Diversions Ease Congestion
The relief came as police diverted protestors’ vehicles from the Sion-Panvel highway and the Atal Setu road, preventing the usual choke points at Vashi. Close to 15,000 vehicles, which had been parked around the CIDCO exhibition centre in Vashi and in the APMC market area, began dispersing once the announcement was made.
High Court Intervention Spurs Dispersal
DCP (Traffic) Tirupati Kakade said, “The traffic has been moving smoothly towards Mumbai since Tuesday afternoon. The traffic towards Panvel is slow due to the protestors returning. All police staff are deployed on the roads for bandobast and to manage traffic.”
City Roads Return to Normalcy
In the city’s heart, too, the change was immediate. For days, Azad Maidan and the roads around Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus had been overflowing with thousands of protestors and their vehicles, leaving DN Road and Municipal Corporation Road at a standstill. On Monday evening, after the Bombay High Court’s intervention, Jarange-Patil urged protestors to clear the grounds and vacate the streets. By 10pm, vehicles were being moved, and by the next morning, DN Road was breathing again.
Ripple Effect in Navi Mumbai
Residents and shopkeepers who had been hemmed in by crowds and parked vehicles watched municipal workers sweep through, cleaning roads and footpaths. The quiet return of order brought a sense of normalcy that the city had been craving.
Police Efforts Lauded
The relief, however, wasn’t evenly spread. As protestors began their return journeys, residents in Belapur, Kharghar, and Panvel noticed the burden of congestion shifting. “It’s better at Vashi, but now Panvel end is struggling with the outflow of vehicles. Though there is no traffic jam, the traffic movement is slow,” said a Belapur resident, reflecting both the relief and the lingering ripple effects of the agitation.
Relief for Exhausted Officers
For the Mumbai police, who had handled the massive mobilisation with patience and strategy, the peaceful end of the protest was a quiet victory. Officers deployed for security duty were finally able to return to their respective units, many of them visibly exhausted but relieved.
City Resumes To Normalcy
What could have ended in confrontation instead closed with a collective sigh of relief. For Mumbai’s commuters, who had spent the past week inching forward in traffic, Tuesday marked the day the city finally began to move again.
