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Panjab University shutdown paralyses Chandigarh, Mohali
Clampdown due to massive outpouring of supporters turns Monday commute into nightmare for thousands across both cities, as most major stretches, including Airport Road, remain choked till late evening
With supporters of the Panjab University Bachao Morcha protest turning up in large numbers and attempting to enter Chandigarh from multiple entry points for the varsity shutdown, the Chandigarh Police on Monday sealed the UT-Mohali borders and imposed extensive traffic diversions.
However, the absence of any prior traffic advisory or public alert caught commuters completely off guard.
The clampdown led to massive traffic jams across both cities, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for hours on main and ancillary roads on what was already a busy Monday.
Anticipating large-scale mobilisation, police barricaded all major entry routes, including those along Mohali, Zirakpur and New Chandigarh, with the help of trucks and buses.
As a result, serpentine queues of stranded vehicles stretched for several kilometres, severely crippling traffic movement on Airport Road, Mohali’s main traffic lifeline, and other approaches from Zirakpur and Kurali.
Ropar Range DIG Nanak Singh clarified that Punjab Police was not enforcing the closures. “The barricading and entry regulations were done by Chandigarh Police.”
“The Chandigarh Police completely sealed all entry points, which led to heavy back pressure on our side, We tried to divert the traffic through alternative routes, but due to the large number of vehicles on the road, congestion was unavoidable,” said Navneet Mahal, superintendent of police (Traffic), Mohali.
In the morning, commuters were being allowed to travel from Mohali to Chandigarh after screening for suspected protesters. However, the crowd of protesters and supporters began swelling around 1 pm, with groups moving from Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Phase 8 towards Chandigarh.
In an attempt to prevent further escalation, police sealed the borders connecting Mohali and Chandigarh, triggering complete mayhem and flaring tempers.
It was only around 2 pm that the Chandigarh Traffic Police issued an advisory listing the closed routes.
These included the road from Mataur Barrier towards Sector 51/52 light point, the stretch from Sector 50/51 small chowk to the boundary behind Model Jail, the road from YPS Chowk towards Diplast Chowk, and the route from Furniture Market Chowk towards Madanpur Chowk.
The situation started to normalise only around 4.30 pm when police started allowing commuters past the barricades on these routes. But traffic movement remained sluggish until late evening as PU protest supporters made their way back to Punjab.
Traffic comes to a crawl around PU
Police had also barricaded all approach roads leading to Panjab University well before the Sector 25 side of the campus. Commuters were forced to take diversions, turning right from blocked stretches. Traffic moved at a snail’s pace along the Udyog Path, with long queues of vehicles seen on the Sector 23/16 and 17/22 dividing roads, extending even further into the adjoining roads.
Sapan Dhir, an advocate at the Punjab and Haryana high court, said, “I left from the Sector 43 ISBT road and entered the Model Jail road, but found it closed. When I took the route through Sector 50, I got stuck in traffic for three hours till 4.30 pm, missing my appointment at Fortis Hospital. Even while returning, I spent another 90 minutes stuck in traffic.”
The situation turned tense near Phase 6, where farmers clashed verbally with the police after being stopped from moving towards Chandigarh. When denied passage, they staged a sit-in and raised slogans against the administration, further slowing traffic in the area.
Matters escalated further at YPS Chowk, where a group of nihangs blocked the road by placing wooden logs and additional barricades, completely halting vehicular movement.
Many residents took to social media to vent their frustration, sharing photos and videos of long traffic snarls. Jaswinder Singh Walia, a resident of Phase 2, said, “I got a call from my son’s school in Sector 26 that he was unwell, but I was stuck in traffic for nearly three hours. Despite trying all routes, I couldn’t enter Chandigarh as every entry point was completely sealed.”
Commuters expressed anger and helplessness as the situation worsened through the day. Chandan Sandhu, a local resident, shared his frustration on social media, saying, “Chaos in Mohali due to the PU protest in Chandigarh. Borders sealed, traffic crawling, people stranded. Chandigarh is completely cut off from Mohali. It’s becoming a nightmare for commuters. I was myself stuck for over 30 minutes. Why should citizens suffer like this?”
