Farmers Movement Archive

Kisan jam: Traffic derailed with tractors out on roads

NEW DELHI: Delhiites who ventured out and those trying to reach the capital had a nightmarish experience on Tuesday as farmers’ tractor rally resulted in massive jams not only on arterial roads across the city, but also highways leading to it. Tuesday saw a record 51 Delhi Metro stations across six different corridors getting closed due to security reasons. Those travelling between Delhi, Gurugram and Noida were stuck in snarls for hours, including many who had a train or flight to catch. One of the commuters, Priyanka Sharma, said that she urgently had to go to Gurugram from Delhi but everywhere she found barricades. Another commuter, Ravi, said that he had to go to Dwarka from Daryaganj in the evening but since internet services were suspended in the area, he got late in arranging a ride for himself. However, even when he did, it took him more than an hour to find a way out since all the adjoining routes were barricaded. Delhi Traffic Police kept updating commuters through their Twitter handle about traffic jam situations. “Please avoid NH 44, GTK road, outer ring road, Signature bridge, GT road, ISBT ring road, Vikas Marg, ITO, NH 24, Nizammudin Khatta, Noida link road, Peeragarhi & Outer Delhi, East & West Delhi border areas due to ongoing farmer protests,” read one of the posts. Roads around Meerut Expressway, Akshardham, Pragati Maidan, Vikas Marg, ITO, Mandi House, India Gate, Mukarba Chowk, Outer Ring Road, Delhi-Noida Link Road, Ghazipur border, Singhu border and Chilla border had to be closed for general traffic earlier in the day. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) first closed the Lal Quila (Red Fort) station of the Violet Line (Kashmere Gate-Ballabhgarh) around 10 am and within 10 minutes, closed entry to 11 stations of the Green Line that connects Inderlok to Bahadurgarh and crosses the TIkri border where farmers have been protesting. The entire corridor was closed by 12.46 pm. Several other stations on other corridors were closed too. Most of them reopened between 8 and 9 pm. Later in the day, traffic officials said that vehicle movement was running close to normal in several areas.

The Times of India

2021-01-27

Delhi