Kalyan: The ongoing metro construction at Manpada Junction on the Kalyan-Shilphata Road is causing severe traffic congestion, leading to daily hardships for commuters, schoolchildren, and parents. The traffic has worsened significantly since schools reopened, with school buses, private vehicles, and public transport getting stranded in long queues for hours.

Heavy congestion is witnessed daily on key stretches connecting Runwal to Manpada, Sonarpada to Manpada, and Sanghvi Garden to Manpada.

Local Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) leaders criticised the slow pace of metro work and the resulting traffic inconvenience. “Proper planning was not carried out for the metro project during the holidays. The burden of managing the resulting traffic has fallen entirely on the traffic police, while violations such as vehicles entering no-entry zones have further worsened the situation," said Harshad Patil, MNS office-bearer from Kalyan.

The party also accused local public representatives of ignoring the daily inconvenience faced by residents and commuters despite persistent traffic problems. MNS has demanded that the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and the local administration take immediate measures to streamline traffic movement at Manpada Junction.

Warning of further action, the Patil said, "If the traffic situation at Manpada Junction is not improved within the next eight days, MNS will launch a strong agitation against the authorities." The growing congestion has become a major concern for motorists, with commuters urging authorities to expedite the metro work and implement effective traffic management measures to ease the daily bottlenecks.