Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai
Mumbai, Feb 12: On a warm February afternoon, a convoy of vehicles rolled onto a newly laid stretch of the Mumbai Coastal Road. As the cars gathered speed with the Arabian Sea shimmering alongside, a familiar melody rose — not from the radio, but from beneath the tyres.
Motorists travelling along a 500-metre northbound stretch between Nariman Point and Worli can now hear the Oscar-winning song ‘Jai Ho’ humming through their wheels. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Wednesday inaugurated what it described as India’s first “music road” on the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj Coastal Road.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were present at the launch and experienced the musical stretch firsthand.
The innovation relies on a simple yet precise engineering technique. Specially designed rumble strips, or grooves, have been carved into the asphalt at calculated intervals and depths.
When vehicles travel over them at speeds between 60 and 80 kmph, the interaction between tyres and grooves generates vibrations. These vibrations create sound waves that combine to reproduce the tune of ‘Jai Ho’, composed by AR Rahman for the Academy Award-winning film Slumdog Millionaire.
According to the BMC, this is the first such experiment in India and the fifth globally. Similar musical roads have been developed in Hungary, Japan, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.
The concept was proposed by former Member of Parliament Rahul Shewale and implemented as part of the broader Mumbai Coastal Road project.
Chief Minister Fadnavis stated that the initiative has been introduced on a trial basis and may be extended to other sections of the coastal road if successful.
Deputy Chief Minister Shinde said the government would explore replicating the concept on other highways, including the Samruddhi Expressway, on an experimental basis. He described the project as an innovative addition to Mumbai’s infrastructure that enhances the driving experience.
For now, motorists cruising along the coastal stretch are treated to an unexpected symphony — a reminder that even roads can be designed to strike the right note.