Tight security for Modi's Mumbai visit, traffic curbs in place

Flying activities will not be allowed under the limits of police stations at Bandra Kurla Complex and nearby areas in Mumbai on Thursday when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay foundation stones for several projects, police said.

In view of the prime minister's visit, a few roads in the area will be closed for vehicles, while traffic will be diverted on some other routes, the traffic police said.

The prime minister is scheduled to attend a function to be held on the MMRDA grounds in the Bandra Kurla Complex, an upscale commercial hub.

He is set to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for a string of projects worth more than Rs 38,000 crore during his visit.

He will dedicate to the nation the Mumbai Metro Rail Lines 2A and 7.

Flying activities including the use of drones, paragliders, and remote-controlled micro-light aircraft will not be allowed from noon till midnight under the jurisdictions of four police stations, namely BKC, Andheri, Meghwadi, and Jogeshwari on Thursday, the Mumbai police said in an order on Wednesday.

Terrorist or anti-social elements may attack using the drone, paragliders, remote control micro-light aircraft, etc. hence such flying activities are banned for the day.

There is every likelihood of the breach of peace and disturbance of public tranquillity and also there is a grave danger to human life, health, safety and injury to public property on that account, the order said.

Security has been beefed up as a large number of VIPs are expected to attend the BKC for the PM's event, a Mumbai police official said.

A few roads have been closed to traffic. On other roads, traffic will be diverted ahead of the prime minister's visit.

"The city traffic police have made elaborate arrangements in view of PM Modi's visit as traffic has been diverted on some routes, while some roads are shut temporarily," an official said.

An order issued by the traffic police said, "A large number of people from Mumbai and other cities in Maharashtra are expected to attend PM Modi's programme on Thursday. Therefore, between 12.00 and 21.00 hours, entry of heavy vehicles on all roads in the area, including the Western Express Highway, shall be banned. However, ambulances, school buses and other buses have been exempted from this restriction."

There shall be no entry to vehicles coming from the Western Express Highway, Dharavi and Bandra-Worli Sea Link via BKC family court towards Kurla and also no entry to vehicles coming from Saint Dnyaneshwar Road towards Kurla.

There shall be no entry to vehicles coming from the Government Colony, Kanakiya Palace and Valmiki Nagar through BKC premises towards Chunabhatti and Kurla, it said.

There shall be no entry to vehicles coming from Surve Junction and Razzak Junction through BKC premises towards Western Express Highway, Dharavi and Worli Sea Link, it added.

There shall be 'No Parking' on any road in BKC premises.

Vehicles from WEH, Bandra-Worli Sea Link going via BKC premises towards Kurla shall take a road to MMRDA junction and proceed via Dharavi T Junction towards Kurla and Eastern Express Highway, the traffic police said.

The traffic police have put in place alternative route arrangements.

Vehicles proceeding from Saint Dnyaneshwar Nagar through BKC premises Income Tax junction shall proceed along Guru Nanak Hospital-Jagat Vidya Mandir Junction-Kala Nagar Junction and through Dharavi T junction towards Kurla. Vehicles going to Kurla from Kherwadi area via BKC Premises shall take a U-turn from Valimiki Nagar and proceed via Government Colony-Kala Nagar Junction-Dharavi T junction towards Kurla.

"Vehicles proceeding through Eastern Express Highway from Chunabhatti through BKC connector shall proceed through NSE Junction-Income Tax junction-family court junction and then through MMRDA junction to their desired destination," an official added.

Meanwhile, top BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis visited the MMRDA ground on Wednesday afternoon along with special police commissioner Deven Bharati, joint commissioner (law and order) Satyanarayan Chowdhary and other top police officers to take stock of the preparations.