Mumbai plans vast tunnel network to reduce congestion

Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday said his government is creating a vast underground network of tunnels across Mumbai to ease congestion, describing it in a lighter vein as "Paatal Lok", a parallel road system. "Paatal Lok" term has been popularised by a Hindi web series noted for its depiction of the netherworld. Fadnavis used the term to describe the proposed underground road network. The planned tunnel grid would cover the city in multiple directions, Fadnavis said at IIMUN's (India's International Movement to Unite Nations) Youth Connect session. "We are creating a 'Paatal Lok', a widespread network of tunnels across Mumbai city for complete decongestion," he said, adding that it would function as a shadow network to existing arterial routes.

"It will be a parallel network to existing roads," the chief minister said, noting that expanding Metro corridors would complement the plan.