Festival rush chokes Capital; south, central Delhi worst hit

While the Delhi traffic police attributed the congestion to Raksha Bandhan festivities coinciding with the weekend rush, many commuters blamed poor traffic management and the minimal presence of traffic personnel on the ground

Vehicular movement in the national capital descended into chaos on Friday evening, with motorists caught in hours-long snarls across the city, particularly in south and central Delhi.

The jam on Ring Road near Maharani Bagh on Friday night. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

Several arterial roads, including the Ring Road, Outer Ring Road, Mathura Road, Aurobindo Marg, Barapullah and Delhi-Noida Direct flyways, the Delhi-Gurugram routes via Mahipalpur and Mehrauli, India Gate Circle, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, NH-9, and NH-44, were choked for nearly six hours from around 5pm.

While the Delhi traffic police attributed the congestion to Raksha Bandhan festivities coinciding with the weekend rush, many commuters blamed poor traffic management and the minimal presence of traffic personnel on the ground. Social media was flooded with posts lamenting the gridlock and tagging authorities for urgent intervention.

“The traffic situation at the junction of San Martin Marg and Alexander M Kadakin Marg has gotten really bad. Unruly drivers blocking the wrong side, cars parked on both sides, and no traffic control — utter chaos. Please resolve!” one X user posted. Another shared a Google Maps screen shot showing heavy congestion on the New Rao Tula Ram flyover near RK Puram, writing: “As usual, no traffic police to clear the road. Seems @dtptraffic is only interested in challan work rather than keeping traffic moving.”

As complaints poured in, the traffic police issued an advisory at 8.39pm via social media, warning that festival travel and weekend traffic could cause congestion, especially for commuters heading towards Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, and Chandigarh via NH-44 and the Singhu border. The advisory suggested using alternative routes or opting for public transport such as the Delhi Metro.

The first major snarl was reported around 4pm on the Ring Road, from AIIMS to Moolchand, after an MCD truck broke down near Andrews Ganj. The situation worsened during peak office hours. In the Pragati Maidan tunnel, two broken-down cars caused another jam, with one stranded driver seen making frantic calls for help. Witnesses said no traffic staff or towing cranes were present.

Long queues also formed on Mathura Road between Ashram Chowk and Badarpur, Outer Ring Road between Okhla and Vasant Vihar, and stretches of the Ring Road between Sarai Kale Khan and Dhaula Kuan. Central Delhi areas including Chanakyapuri, India Gate, ITO, and Connaught Place were similarly affected.

“We have deployed extra personnel to clear the jams and restore smooth flow,” a senior traffic police officer said.