The Bharat Bandh called by protesting farmers seeking withdrawal of the controversial farm laws proved to be a commuters’ nightmare as rows of cars stacked bumper-to bumper were seen along the Gurugram-Delhi border on Monday morning as the vehicles entering the national capital were checked by Delhi Police.
A heavy presence of security personnel was seen at the Delhi-Gurugram border. Apart from the central forces, the Delhi Police and the Gurugram Police personnel have barricaded the border. Due to this only two lanes from Jaipur towards Delhi were opened for commuters entering Delhi. The traffic movement on the National Highway-48 was slow and the vehicles were moving bumper to bumper.
The officials of the Gurugram traffic control room said that the traffic movement on the expressway was slow due to the barricades erected by the Delhi Police on the Delhi-Gurugram border and near the Rajokri flyover. “We have made all arrangements to tackle the protest call given by farmer organisations.
“Police will keep updating people about the traffic situation in Gurugram through the official social media handles,” said Subhash Boken, spokesperson of the Gurugram Police, adding that while regular traffic can pass, checks are likely to slow it down or lead to jams. More than 1,000 police forces including senior officers have been deployed at all border points,” he said.
Security was beefed up on the borders of Ghaziabad and Noida with Delhi while traffic movement on some key routes was hit. The Ghaziabad Police closed a national highway that connects Ghaziabad and Nizamuddin in Delhi.
At the UP Gate, which is also the protest site of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) since November last year, police have put up barricades on the highway to check vehicles. Nobody is allowed to travel from this route between Delhi and Ghaziabad due to the Bharat Bandh call, Superintendent of police (second) Gyanendra Singh told PTI. Apart from UP Gate at Ghazipur border, all three borders between Delhi and Ghaziabad — Ananad Vihar, Dilshad Garden-Apsara Cinema, and Tulsi Niketan — are open, the SP said.
Meanwhile, the Noida traffic police also cautioned commuters against taking the routes passing through Ghazipur in adjoining Ghaziabad for travelling to or from Delhi. The Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of over 40 farmers’ unions leading the 10-month-old agitation for withdrawal of three contentious farm laws, has called for the Bharat Bandh on Monday.
Routes between Noida and Delhi via Chilla and DND flyway are open. But there was an increased traffic on these routes during the peak office hours. The traffic movement had slowed down a bit because of the pressure, a traffic police official told PTI. On the other side, the expressways, including the Yamuna Expressway, leading from Greater Noida into the interior districts of Uttar Pradesh like Mathura, Agra, Aligarh, Lucknow, among others were open without any hindrance in the morning, according to officials. The Delhi Police also increased security checks at its border points which led to the slowing down of traffic.
The dual carriageway at Ghazipur border was closed for traffic by Delhi Police which informed commuters about road closures and traffic snarls on Twitter. Due to blocking of National Highway 24 and 9 by protesters, commuters coming from Sarai Kale Khan can take alternate route for Ghaziabad i.e. Vikas Marg for Ghaziabad and for Noida via DND, the traffic police said on Twitter.
The Ghazipur border is closed for traffic from both sides due to farmers’ protests. Commuters wishing to commute to and fro between UP and Delhi may use DND flyway, Vikas Marg, Signature bridge, and Wazirabad road. Traffic on NH 24 and 9 is being diverted towards Maharajpur, Apsara and Bhopura borders, it said in a tweet.
Autorickshaws and taxis are operating normally in Delhi and shops are open today, with their unions and associations extending only “in-principle support” to the strike.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), an umbrella body of over 40 farm unions, is leading the 6 am-4 pm protest today. The group has said they will not allow movement on some sections of national highways.
All government and private offices, educational and other institutions, shops, industries and commercial establishments as well as public events and functions will be closed throughout the country, it had said. All emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief and rescue work and people attending to personal emergencies will be exempted.
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