Navi Mumbai: The city witnessed heavy traffic chaos on Wednesday morning after a truck accident at the beginning of the Ghansoli flyover on the Thane-Belapur route. The container loaded on the truck fell off, blocking both the flyover and the road below, bringing traffic to a standstill within minutes. Long queues of vehicles stretched all the way to Airoli before traffic partially resumed around 9 am.

The incident took place around 7 am when a truck coming from JNPT towards Thane climbed onto the divider while descending from the Ghansoli station flyover.

The impact was so severe that the container detached from the truck and fell onto the Belapur lane, along with the rear wheels. Initial reports suggest that the accident may have occurred due to a collision between two trucks travelling in opposite directions.

The fallen container caused a complete traffic jam towards Belapur, halting both heavy and light vehicles. Traffic Police Inspector Tukaram Pawale and his team immediately reached the spot to manage the situation and made a temporary passage for small vehicles to move. A hydra crane was called to lift the container and clear the road, after which single-lane traffic was restored post 9 am.

The morning rush worsened the congestion, affecting vehicles heading towards Mulund as well. By late morning, traffic police managed to move the damaged vehicle to the side, allowing slow movement on one lane. “The accident-affected vehicle will be completely cleared soon and traffic will return to normal,” said Senior Police Inspector Tukaram Pawale.

Local commuters have expressed concerns over the lack of proper signage on the Thane-Belapur route. No boards or radium signs are indicating where the flyover begins or ends, which often confuses drivers. Just two days ago, a similar container accident occurred on the Ghansoli-Rabale flyover, causing massive congestion in the area.

Mumbai: On the basis of actionable intelligence, NCB Mumbai had intercepted a person at Pune on 18/19.09.2025 from whom 502 gms Mephedrone was seized. During immediate follow-up, 839 gms Mephedrone was seized from possession of another drug associate at home of the kingpin & his wife located in Mumbai. 

During investigation, the kingpin and his wife were identified to be operating the drug syndicate and were on the run since then and travelled across multiple states to dodge the movement trail. However, after intensive follow up action they were located at a holiday resort in Goa. On 25.10.2025, NCB team intercepted the kingpin & his wife from Goa based resort after which they were arrested.

The kingpin is a habitual drug offender wherein 03 NDPS cases against him registered previously by NCB & Rajasthan Police. Further, he has 07 criminal cases registered by Mumbai Police. He is also declared as “Tadipar” by Police, for which he has been ordered to stay out of Mumbai Municipal limits.  

This seizure highlights the committed effort of NCB in safeguarding public health and ensuring strict enforcement against the organised drug syndicates. The Narcotics Control Bureau reaffirms its commitment to disrupt drug trafficking and allied criminal activities to achieve the vision of Nasha Mukt Bharat by 2047.

To fight against drug trafficking, NCB seeks active support of the citizens. Any person can share information related to sale of narcotics by calling on MANAS- National Narcotics Helpline Toll Free Number – 1933. The identity of the informer is kept confidential.

Cyclone Montha, which developed from a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, has intensified into a severe cyclonic storm and made landfall along the Andhra Pradesh coast on Tuesday morning.

Following its formation, weather departments in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha issued alerts as wind speeds reached up to 110 kilometres per hour, accompanied by heavy rainfall and thunderstorms across coastal regions since Monday.

While Cyclone Montha has primarily affected the eastern coast, its indirect impact is expected to be felt in parts of Maharashtra over the next two days. According to senior meteorologist Anupam Kashyapi, strong winds and thunderstorms are likely in several districts, including Pune, Mumbai, Gadchiroli, Gondia, Chandrapur, Bhandara and Nagpur. An orange alert has been issued for eastern Vidarbha, and heavy rainfall is predicted in isolated areas.

Experts say Maharashtra is not under direct threat from Montha, but its outer weather system may cause moderate to heavy rainfall in some regions. Coastal areas such as Mumbai and Konkan have been advised to remain alert as precautionary measures.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that changing wind patterns could bring short spells of intense showers along with thunder and lightning over the next 48 hours.

In the past five years, Maharashtra has occasionally experienced the effects of cyclones formed in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea. The state witnessed major impacts from Cyclone Nisarga in 2020, which struck the Raigad coast and caused widespread damage, and from Cyclone Tauktae in 2021, which battered the Konkan region with strong winds and heavy rain. More recently, Cyclone Biparjoy in 2023 affected coastal Palghar and surrounding districts.

Compared to these earlier storms, Cyclone Montha poses less danger to Maharashtra. However, residents are urged to stay cautious as unpredictable weather patterns may lead to sudden rainfall and disruptions in some districts.

Meteorologists believe that the increasing frequency of cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea highlights the growing influence of climate change on regional weather systems.