While Mumbai welcomed the pre-monsoon showers on Monday, a traffic constable stood for two-and-a-half hours in the rain, with no waterproof gear, to ensure there was no road block or collision at Akurli Road, off the Western Express Highway, in Kandivli (E).
A video clip of constable Nandkumar Ingle (47) shot by a motorist has gone viral on social media.
Around 8pm, when it started raining, Ingle was on duty at Akurli Road. The strong wind blew some of the barricades up to 150m away, said Ingle, who was accompanied by a traffic warden.
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¡°There was no time to don a raincoat. I handed my phone and wallet to the warden and asked him to take cover. Vehicular traffic flow on Akurli Road is heavy and I couldn¡¯t have moved from my position as it would have resulted in chaos on the road,¡± Ingle said.
¡°But then, a tree collapsed, which caused temporary congestion. Pradeep Bhilaye from the Dahisar traffic outpost came to my aid...Both of us stayed back till 11.30pm on the road.¡±
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Ingle does not have social media accounts and had no clue about the video till his superiors congratulated him on Tuesday when he reported to work. He has served with the Mumbai Police for 23 years.