Mumbai Coastal Road's 'Jai Ho' Music Is A Menace, Say Residents Living Nearby
Just a few days ago, on February 11, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis inaugurated the 500-metre stretch of Mumbai's newly opened Coastal Road Seafront Expressway, which plays the Oscar-winning song “Jai Ho” from “Slumdog Millionaire”. Now what has happened is that since its inauguration, residents of the Breach Candy residential area, which is close to the expressway, have expressed how this musical patch on the road has become a menace.
Recently, during an interview, noise pollution activist Sumaira Abdulali highlighted that residents of Breach Candy and nearby areas have now formally complained about the constant disturbance from the musical road that plays music maestro AR Rahman’s composed song “Jai Ho”. The first complaints about this road began within less than a month after its inauguration on February 11.
Abdulali, in the video, mentioned that the project violates noise rules. She highlighted that loud sound sources are not allowed after 10 PM, and even daytime decibel levels are inappropriate for a residential area. She also called the construction of this road, playing a song by passing vehicles in one of the world's noisiest cities, an extremely shocking move from the government.
She added that there are existing court orders and citizen complaints about the noise pollution. Abdulali stated that even if consulted, the project would remain illegal, as noise rules are health-based laws and are designed to protect senior citizens, babies, and vulnerable individuals. The musical stretch, as mentioned, runs past Breach Candy, which is one of the upmarket neighbourhoods in Mumbai.
This area is home to numerous billionaire industrialists such as Gautam Singhania, the Ambani family, a number of Bollywood celebrities, and other high-profile people. It has been mentioned by various other citizens that musical roads in other countries do not run through dense residential zones.
Presently, over 650 families have signed a formal complaint, which has been submitted to the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner and has also been copied to Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ office. Residents, in the complaint, have described the music as constant, intrusive background noise and a significant source of distress. They have claimed that the tune enters their homes, due to which many households now have to keep their windows shut.
For those who may not be aware of the Mumbai Coastal Road Seafront Expressway’s musical road, engineers carved grooves into the asphalt surface, which function as a giant vinyl record. And when a vehicle passes over these grooves at 70–80 kmph, the vibrations create a melody, which is the song “Jai Ho”, the Oscar-winning song from the movie “Slumdog Millionaire”.
If a vehicle passes over these grooves at speeds above 70–80 kmph, these vibrations become uncomfortable. These have been designed to encourage drivers to slow down. The authorities have placed signboards to alert motorists, informing them of the required speed to hear the tune. This particular music is not broadcast via a speaker. Rather, it is generated by tyre and road interaction.
Now whether the Mumbai Municipal Commissioner and municipal corporation will take action and remove the musical road is currently unknown. However, we can understand the pain of the residents of nearby areas, as listening to the same tune for 24 hours can get extremely frustrating.