If you were on the Eastern Express Highway a couple of weeks ago — those of you unlucky enough to have been there will immediately recall the day — you will remember the mixture of anger, hopelessness and frustration that washed over you during your unending struggle to get home. Traffic slowed to a crawl, then stopped for hours, compelling thousands of drivers and passengers to scratch their heads and wonder about what new festival was being celebrated.

A number of people wondered aloud on Twitter, which they could do at leisure because the vehicles they were in weren't moving. Some said a crack had appeared on a bridge in Ghatkopar, prompting police to shut down a road. Others said there were vehicles going the wrong way in the absence of traffic police, leading to chaos at other points. Still others assumed something had broken down, or that an accident was responsible. Through it all, there was radio silence from anyone associated with the government of Maharashtra.