Mumbai, March 7: Days after Breach Candy residents complained about the “Jai Ho” melody road on the northbound stretch of the Mumbai Coastal Road blaring from 6 a.m. to midnight, the BMC has finally acted.
The civic body has asked its consultant to find a solution and will conduct a noise decibel study after residents flagged the stretch as a daily disturbance.
Residents raise concerns over constant noise
The country’s first musical road was inaugurated on February 11, featuring specially installed grooves that play A. R. Rahman’s “Jai Ho” tune when vehicles pass over them at a designated speed. But what was meant to be an innovation has sparked backlash from Breach Candy residents.
Last month, over 650 families signed a formal complaint urging Municipal Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani to stop the music, calling it a constant, intrusive background noise that has caused significant distress.
Residents claim the “melody” road is causing serious discomfort and has no real public benefit, especially as cities aim to create quieter, more liveable neighbourhoods. “We cannot keep our windows open. The sound fills our homes as a constant, muffled, yet intrusive background noise,” the letter to Gagrani stated.
However, a senior civic official said, “We fully recognise the residents’ concerns and have instructed the consultant to find a solution that fulfils the road’s purpose without disrupting local life. We are also monitoring the decibel levels of the melody road at night and will take decisive action based on the findings.”
Melody road built at cost of ₹6 crore
The unique “melody road” on the Coastal Road’s northbound lane from Nariman Point to Worli was built at a cost of Rs. 6 crore. Positioned 500 meters beyond the tunnel, specially designed grooves play the iconic tune “Jai Ho” at speeds of 70–80 km/h, using wheel friction to generate the melody inside the vehicle.
To alert drivers in advance, the BMC has placed signage at 500 meters, 100 meters, and 60 meters to ensure drivers are prepared for the musical journey.
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Concept originated in Japan
The concept originated in Japan in 2007, when engineer Shizuo Shinoda discovered the musical effect while working on roads with a bulldozer. The experiment later evolved into the “melody road” concept. Since then, similar projects have been implemented in Hungary, Japan, South Korea, and the UAE.
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