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Chandigarh braces for traffic chaos with back-to-back VIP visits for two days
Home minister Amit Shah to arrive in Chandigarh on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra’s Modi visit on Tuesday
The city is set to face traffic snarls over the next two days as successive VIP visits are expected to cause major disruptions.
Home minister Amit Shah will arrive in the city on Monday, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit on Tuesday.
Modi will be visiting Punjab Engineering College (PEC), which will likely affect major roads such as Madhya Marg, which runs close to the college.
With PEC’s proximity to PGIMER and Panjab University, where exams are already going on, severe traffic bottlenecks are expected on Madhya Marg, a major artery, making it a challenging few days for the city.
This comes less than two months after the chaotic traffic scenes during the swearing-in ceremony of Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini in Panchkula on October 16, as police barricaded major routes in Chandigarh and Panchkula for VIP movement.
After the swearing-in, the Prime Minister had held a meeting with various chief ministers of the National Democratic Alliance at Hotel Lalit in IT Park, Chandigarh.
Despite advance advisories and police arrangements, the large influx of buses and VIP motorcades had caused long traffic jams, frustrating locals and raising concerns over poor event management.
Farmers’ protest over paddy procurement had kept the city in the grip of traffic chaos on October 18 as well.
PM to review new criminal laws at PEC
According to a senior official of the UT administration, Shah will reach Chandigarh around 8 pm on Monday, retiring for the night at one of the Raj Bhawans.
On December 3, he will accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the event scheduled at PEC.
The Prime Minister is visiting the city to review the progress of three newly introduced criminal laws aimed at overhauling India’s criminal justice system.
Newly recruited IPS officers from across the country have also been invited to attend the event, where Chandigarh Police will deliver a detailed presentation on the integration and functioning of various applications under the new laws.
As part of the presentation, the police will provide a live demonstration of how law enforcement, judicial procedures and evidence management have been streamlined. They will also showcase the functionalities of applications such as e-Sakshya, Nyay Setu, Nyay Shruti and e-summons, which have been developed by the National Informatics Centre in collaboration with the National Crime Records Bureau.
Expected to fly from Chandigarh airport to helipad near venue
The Prime Minister is expected to stay in the city for three hours. According to UT officials, he is expected to arrive by helicopter at Rajendra Park, Sector 1, from the airport.
From Rajendra Park, he will travel by road to the event venue, covering a distance of less than half a kilometre.
Officials stated that apart from addressing security concerns, the helicopter ride has been planned to minimise traffic mismanagement during the Prime Minister’s visit.
In light of the visit by both leaders, the UT administration has declared Chandigarh a “no-flying zone” from December 2 to 3.
Special arrangements are also being made at PEC for the Prime Minister’s arrival. The PEC hall, with a seating capacity of around 5,000 people, will host the gathering, where the Prime Minister is expected to deliver his address.
Traffic restrictions in place
On December 2, from 8.15 pm to 9.30 pm, traffic will be diverted on Dakshin Marg at Airport light point, Hallo Majra light point, Poultry Farm Chowk, Tribune Chowk, Iron Market light point, Gurudwara Chowk, New Labour Chowk (Sector 20/21-33/34) and on Sarovar Path at Old Labour Chowk (Sector 18/19-20/21 Chowk), AP Chowk (Sector 7/8-18/19) and Hira Singh Chowk (Sector 5/6-7/8 Chowk).
On December 3, from 11 am to 3.30 pm, traffic will be diverted on Dakshin Marg at Airport light point, Hallo Majra light point, Poultry Farm Chowk, Tribune Chowk, Iron Market light point, Gurudwara Chowk, New Labour Chowk and on Sarovar Path at Old Labour Chowk (Sector 18/19-20/21 Chowk), AP Chowk (Sector 7/8-18/19) and Hira Singh Chowk (Sector 5/6-7/8 Chowk); on Vigyan Path at Sector 4/5-8/9 Chowk, New Barricade Chowk (Sector 3/4-9/10), Sector 2/3-10/11 Chowk and PEC light point.
4,000 personnel deployed for security
Ahead of the VIP visits, Chandigarh Police have ramped up security with the deployment of 4,000 personnel, including 10 paramilitary units. Full security cover has been established at critical locations such as the Chandigarh airport, Raj Bhawan, PEC and Rajendra Park helipad. Additionally, 18 outer checkpoints have been set up at key entry and exit points to ensure thorough monitoring and conduct stringent checks.
