river, a new double line railway bridge has been constructed (carrying traffic from 4 March 2012) to smoothen the railway traffic. Local transportation Selected thoroughfares of Midnapore have been expanded and maintained in an ongoing "Megacity" project started in 1997. The major roads are now upgraded, well lighted and one way with divider. A long-awaited flyover connecting Rangamati over the railway gate minimised the traffic congestion at rush hours. Some of the smaller roads in the city are still unpaved and are difficult to use during and after the monsoon months. To compound the problems faced by inhabitants there are a limited number of bridges crossing the Kasai River affording entry from Howrah and Kolkata (NH6). Nevertheless, the ongoing construction of the new interstate highway system which passes by Midnapore has reduced the time it takes for inhabitants to reach Kolkata. A set of traffic control signals was recently installed in the city, and this helps control traffic. Motorized and bicycle traffic has been increasing in recent years. Within the city, previously cycle rickshaws were one of the few modes of public transportation since effective lobbying by rickshaw-pullers who depend on this for their livelihood had prevented the introduction of town buses and auto rickshaws. Now auto-rickshaws covering the different routes of the city like Railway station, Vidyasagar University, Amtala, Central bus stand, Battala, golkunwar chawk, sipoy bazar by sharing basis, which is a big boost for the city's development. Infrastructure and economy Electricity is available in ample amount. With time, Power outages are becoming more uncommon.Most businesses and upper middle-class and rich households have backup generators and batteries that they use in times of outages. Water supply has become more consistent than the past. Most of the water comes from the Kangsabati river. The municipal water supply is free and ample; tap water is available for about an hour twice a day and is stored by those who can, in plastic, metal, or concrete reservoirs or in buckets. The water is of questionable purity prompting the proliferation of individual water purification units. At present, most middle and upper class households have water pumps installed in their household for daily use, which allows them not to rely on the municipal water, preventing over exploitation of the river. Sewage disposal is a concern. Many of the lower income-communities in the city do not have adequate plumbing and must rely on refuse-collectors