Delhi-NCR witnessed sluggish traffic flow on Tuesday morning, with police fortifying Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders in anticipation of the farmers’ march towards the capital.
Commuters endured challenging journeys as they navigated through extensive traffic jams, encountering a heavily fortified Delhi aimed at deterring the entry of farmers.
In anticipation of the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, security measures at the city’s border points were intensified, featuring multi-layered barricades, concrete barriers, iron nails, and walls of containers.
The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, with the support of over 200 farmer unions, announced their intention to march to Delhi to demand the enactment of legislation guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
From as early as 7 am, bumper-to-bumper traffic was observed at Ghazipur, Singhu, and Tikri borders, causing significant delays for commuters.
Julie Lawrance, stuck in the traffic for over an hour, lamented the delays, despite leaving early from Gurugram’s Sector 29 for her office in central Delhi.
A traffic police officer highlighted the daily movement of over two lakh individuals between Delhi and Gurgaon during working hours, recommending the use of Metro services to alleviate congestion.
At the Ghazipur border, traffic movement was restricted, allowing only two vehicles to pass at a time, with barricades occupying a significant portion of the crucial Noida-Delhi connector.
Nearby, link roads were blocked off by police, funneling vehicles into a single queue, further exacerbating traffic congestion.
Kritika Sharma, having departed for the office at 6 am, remained stranded in traffic as late as 9 am, underscoring the extent of the delays.
Long queues of vehicles were observed at both Singhu and Tikri borders, where stringent barricading and police checks contributed to traffic build-ups.
(With PTI inputs)