India's Longest Bridge Turns Picnic Spot: Mumbai Traffic Police Issues Warning

On Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inaugurated the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewari-Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, India's longest bridge in Maharashtra. But within fewdays of inaguration people have created it as the picnic spoy.  A videos of public who were seen stopping their vehicles on the bridge to take selfies and pictures is going viral on social media. Several photos have also surfaced where people were seen littering and climbing the railing to take selfies, in a complete disregard of rules. One video also showed a couple crossing the bridge ladder to alight on a viewing platform.

Expressing concern over this behavior, the Mumbai Traffic Police issued a warning, emphasizing that stopping on the Atal Setu to take photos is illegal. They highlighted the issue on social media, sharing pictures of rule violations and stating, ''Atal Setu, Not a 21.8 km long picnic spot.'' The police also mentioned that individuals could face FIRs for such actions.

We agree that Atal Setu is definitely 'worth a watch' but it's also illegal to stop on it & click photos. You will face a FIR if you stop on MTHL. #MumbaiTransHarbourLink#MTHL#AtalSetu#FaceFIRIfYouStoppic.twitter.com/582CLgA72W

— Mumbai Traffic Police (@MTPHereToHelp) January 15, 2024

The irresponsible conduct of the public, including littering and climbing railings, has sparked outrage on the internet. Many users urged the Mumbai police to take strict action against violators and impose hefty fines for breaking the rules. Some users suggested utilizing technology, such as the installation of high-definition cameras on the bridge, to monitor and penalize those engaging in rule violations.

While appreciating the quick action taken by the Traffic Police, users emphasized that the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) was not built as a picnic spot but to facilitate faster commuting between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The MTHL, India's longest sea bridge, aims to reduce travel time between the two points from an hour and a half to approximately 20 minutes. Costing ₹17,840 crore, the bridge spans 16.5 km over the sea and has six lanes. Certain vehicles, including two-wheelers, auto rickshaws, tractors, animal-drawn vehicles, and slow-moving vehicles, are prohibited from using the bridge.