E-Paper
Barriers removed in Ambala, traffic resumes on Delhi-Chandigarh Highway
The Haryana Police, equipped with cranes, backhoe loaders and hydraulic machines, started the process of tearing out the jersey barriers and the concrete filling between them on Monday evening, but they had a hard time removing the blockades overnight
After enduring three weeks of traffic chaos and lengthy diversions, commuters along the Delhi-Chandigarh highway and the Dera Bassi-Ambala border can finally breathe a sigh of relief as police personnel finally dismantled the barricades, which had been set up to arrest the protesting farmers’ march to New Delhi, on Tuesday .
The Haryana Police, equipped with cranes, backhoe loaders and hydraulic machines, started the process of tearing out the jersey barriers and the concrete filling between them on Monday evening, but they had a hard time removing the blockades overnight. It is expected that the administration might clear the remaining obstructions – which had been erected near Sadoupur village around 10km away from the Shambhu Barrier – in a day or two. The administration also removed similar barricading installed on other national or state highways passing through Ambala and sharing border with Punjab, except Shambhu.
A portion of the Ambala-Chandigarh expressway was closed on February 12 in response of the farmers’ “Dilli Challo” call. This development brings relief to commuters who were forced to take alternate routes, disrupting the livelihoods of daily wage workers and the movement of commercial vehicles and buses.
The closure of state borders had compelled travelers on the Ambala-Chandigarh national highway (NH)-152 to take longer routes or narrow diversions due to concrete jersey barriers at the Dera Bassi-Ambala border near Jharmari barrier. Additionally, the Punjab Police had barricaded the Dera Bassi Flyover before the Dappar barrier, diverting traffic towards Barwala in Panchkula or from Bhankharpur to Mubarikpur via Ramgarh road, Yamunanagar, to reach Delhi or Haryana districts en route to the Capital.
Commuters faced increased travel time and traffic snarls on inner village roads, exacerbated by recent rain showers that resulted in muddy and slushy conditions, leading to accidents.
“Diverted routes, especially around Sadoupur village, remained congested for hours,” said Ambala resident Rakesh Makkar.
Residents employed on the Ambala side also struggled to reach their workplaces, often covering double the usual distance.
Omaxe Greens, Jharmari village, resident welfare association (RWA) secretary KC Katoch said that he along with several Ambala residents had raised the matter before home minister Anil Vij and senior cops, after which the action was taken.
Akshay Sharma, a Mohali resident, expressing relief at the reopening, said, “It will save me hours of additional travel and reduce my expenditure on fuel. Due to the blockades, I had to use diverted village routes to reach Karnal or Panipat.”
The road travel disruptions had also led to inflated fares for cabs and flights for those travelling to Delhi. Jaspal Singh, traffic in-charge at Dera Bassi, said that traffic had returned to normal on the Dera Bassi-Ambala highway after the Haryana Police removed the blockade.
