A road that sings Jai Ho! India gets first 'musical road' on Mumbai Coastal Road corridor
Mumbai (PTI): Motorists travelling on the Mumbai Coastal Road corridor will now hear the iconic Bollywood song "Jai Ho" when driving over specially installed grooves at a designated speed, making it India's first 'musical' or 'melody' road.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the musical road stretch on Wednesday.
Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, former Shiv Sena MP Rahul Shewale, who conceptualised the idea, Hungary's Consul General Faren Jari, BMC's Additional Municipal Commissioner (Eastern Suburbs) Dr Avinash Dhakne, and other dignitaries were present at the event.
Fadnavis said the concept of a musical road developed along the Coastal Road is set to provide a delightful experience for motorists.
He added that the innovative concept, based on Hungarian technology, would be implemented further in the future.
"In the first phase, the concept has been implemented on a 500-metre stretch of the Coastal Road, and there are plans to expand the musical road concept further," Fadnavis said.
Shinde appealed to Mumbaikars to experience and enjoy the musical road.
He said the government will consider replicating this experiment on the Samruddhi Expressway on a pilot basis.
"The musical road on the Mumbai Coastal Road will evoke a sense of patriotism among Mumbaikars," Shinde said, reiterating that this is India's first musical road.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has developed the innovative stretch on the northbound carriageway from Nariman Point towards Worli on the iconic Coastal Road, which has been named after Dharmaveer Swarajyarakshak Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.
This is the fifth such road in the world and the first of its kind in India, the BMC stated.
According to civic officials, the musical strips have been installed around 500 metres ahead on the first lane adjoining the divider after vehicles exit the Worli-bound underground tunnel.
When vehicles travel over the grooves at 70 to 80 kmph, the friction-generated sound waves produce the melody of 'Jai Ho' from the film Slumdog Millionaire, which can be clearly heard inside the vehicle.
The chartbuster song was composed by A.R. Rahman, with lyrics written by the renowned poet Gulzar. The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and a Grammy Award.
Officials said signboards have been placed inside the tunnel at 500 metres, 100 metres, and 60 metres before the stretch to alert motorists about the upcoming musical road and the required speed for the experience.
In a release issued a day earlier, the BMC said grooves or rumble strips of specific dimensions and spacing have been embedded in the road surface.
When vehicles pass over them at a constant speed, the vibrations caused by tyres create musical notes, forming a recognisable tune. Such stretches are popularly known as 'melody roads' or 'musical roads'.
Hailing the project as a blend of engineering innovation and cultural expression, the BMC stated that the Coastal Road, a key infrastructure project aimed at easing traffic congestion and enabling faster travel, now also offers a unique driving experience.
The concept of musical roads was first developed in Japan in 2007 by engineer Shizuo Shinoda. Similar experiments have since been implemented in countries such as Hungary, Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
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Murder case: Police will find BJP MLA if he doesn't surrender, says K'taka Home min
Bengaluru (PTI): A day after the Karnataka High Court declined to grant anticipatory bail to BJP MLA B A Basavaraj in a murder case, state Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said that it will be good if he voluntarily surrenders, else the police will find him.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which is probing the case, has formed multiple special teams to find the legislator, who is allegedly absconding, police sources said.
"The court issued an order yesterday. If he voluntarily comes and surrenders it will be good. If not, police will find him," the home minister told reporters in response to a question.
Basavaraj has been named as one of the accused in the murder of Shivaprakash alias Bikla Shiva, a realtor-cum-rowdy-sheeter, who was killed on July 15, last year.
Responding to a question on police recently arresting a Group D employee for allegedly stealing a bag containing gold ornaments and cash from the office of the Urban Development Minister Byrathi Suresh at Vidhana Soudha, Parameshwara said, stealing was secondary, how the bag entered the state Secretariat unnoticed, has to be probed at the first place.
"First of all my concern is how did the bag go from the gate to inside Vidhana Soudha. So I have ordered a probe, as to from which gate did the bag gain entry into Vidhana Soudha. How did the bag go to the office of a Minister unnoticed. I have given instructions to the police commissioner."
"The Joint Commissioner has taken the responsibility of the inquiry. We will find out," he said.
The employee was arrested based on the CCTV footage available, he added.
According to the police, the complainant had visited the minister's office for some work and inadvertently left his bag, allegedly containing around 300 gm of gold jewellery and Rs 1.5 lakh in cash.
On realising that the bag was missing, he returned to the minister's office in search of it the next day and subsequently lodged a complaint with the Vidhana Soudha police station. The incident had occured last week.
