IIT-B bars entry of outsiders at Mood Indigo after traffic snarls

The decision was taken after the heavy influx of festival attendees on Tuesday caused severe traffic congestion along the Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), with commuters reportedly being stuck for three to four hours

Mumbai: The Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B) on Wednesday cancelled all pre-registrations for its annual cultural festival, Mood Indigo, which commenced on Tuesday. No outsiders barring participants in various competitions were allowed inside the campus on Wednesday and the same will be followed on Thursday, the last day of the festival, a statement released by the institute said.

IIT-B bars entry of outsiders at Mood Indigo after traffic snarls

The decision to cancel all pre-registrations and bar the entry of outsiders was taken after the heavy influx of festival attendees on Tuesday caused severe traffic congestion along the Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link Road (JVLR), with commuters reportedly being stuck for three to four hours.

Residents of neighbourhoods near the IIT campus said the situation had spiralled out of control by Tuesday afternoon itself, with the traffic spillover extending deep into residential areas and disrupting daily mobility across the western suburbs.

Mandeep Singh Makkar, founder of the Chandivali Citizens Welfare Association, said the traffic disruption lasted for more than six hours.

“The entire western side was paralysed. School buses were stuck with children crying inside, ambulances were gridlocked, and people were stranded without any prior alert. This kind of mismanagement cannot be brushed aside,” he said.

Both organisers and authorities must be held accountable for the lapses, he noted.

Another resident who did not wish to be identified said mobility across key junctions had collapsed entirely.

“People trying to reach any place in the western suburbs were stuck for hours. Even those using the Metro had no way forward because feeder roads were choked,” the resident said.

By Tuesday evening, the Mumbai traffic police deployed additional personnel to manage the situation.

“Traffic police are prepared and will remain deployed till the event concludes to ensure that such a situation does not arise again,” a traffic police officer told HT.

Advocate Trivankumar Karnani, founder of Mumbai North Central District Forum, said the incident had underscored the legal responsibility of event organisers.

“Crowd management is not optional. Organisers are duty-bound under existing laws to ensure public safety and orderly access. While corrective steps have now been taken, such lapses cannot become routine,” Karnani said.