Delhi Chalo: Pickets, checking in view of farm stir derails traffic

Traffic jams witnessed at Delhi borders and city roads due to heavy police deployment for farmer unions' "Delhi chalo" march.

Even as no buses or trucks carrying agitating farmers entered the Delhi borders, heavy traffic jams were witnessed on Wednesday at different city borders as well as some arterial roads in view of the farmer unions’ call for “Delhi chalo” march.

Delhi Police personnel set up barricades near New Delhi Railway Station to check vehicles. (Sanchit Khanna)

Commuters said that the vehicular movement was affected mainly due to heavy deployment of the police personnel at the borders, railway stations and ISBTs, as well as pickets and barricades placed by the police at various points across the city.

The checking of vehicles at several spots led to traffic jams on at least 20 locations including Rohini, Shalimar Bagh, Darya Ganj, Anand Vihar, Patparganj, Mayur Vihar, Minto Road, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg, Sansad Marg and Civil Lines, besides the roads connecting to different railway stations and bus stands on Wednesday.

A senior Delhi Police officer said that inputs were received that various farmer union leaders, under the banners of Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kissan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) had asked their supporters from all over India to reach New Delhi by buses, trains and other means of transport and gather at Jantar Mantar for a massive protest.

“Till 6pm Wednesday, the police have not detained any protesters from the bus stands, police stations and border check posts. No buses or trucks carrying the agitators were found entering Delhi. As a precautionary measure to maintain law and order and security situation in Delhi, adequate forces have been deployed across the city, including ISBTs and railway stations. Keeping in mind the apprehension that the protesters may be involved in showing anti-national graffiti or painting walls, staff were deployed near all bus stands, railway stations and Metro stations to tackle the agitators professionally,” said a police officer involved in the deployment plan who asked not to be named.

According to police, over 30 companies of Delhi Police’s reserved police battalions – including six companies of women personnel – were deployed at different borders, and other points on Wednesday, to handle protesters.

However, police pickets placed on arterial roads such as Tilak Marg at ITO, near Minto Bridge on the road leading to the New Delhi Railway Station, Old Delhi Railway station, Sarai Rohilla railway station, ISBT Anand Vihar and ISBT Kashmere Gateled to traffic jams within the city limits.

At ITO, the pickets placed at Tilak Marg formed a bottleneck with traffic crawling on the stretch in the morning rush hour. The situation continued til noon before the vehicular movement became smoother.

On Minto Road, the barricades placed near Minto Bridge hit traffic to and from Connaught Place as well. Jams were witnessed on Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg with a long queue of traffic waiting to take a right turn towards New Delhi Railway Station.

Traffic jams were also reported from Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur borders where heavy deployment of police was made to stop protesters from entering the city.

A senior Delhi Traffic Police officer said jams were reported from nearly 25 locations across Delhi. “Most of these areas were located near bus stands, railway stations or borders. Traffic was affected at some stretches such as the carriageways from Nangloi to Najafgarh and Mundka towards Nangloi due to breakdown of heavy vehicles. At other points, traffic was slower due to checking of vehicles, which was mandatory in view of ‘Delhi Chalo’ call given by farmer unions. However, by 2pm, traffic became normal in all those areas,” the officer who asked not to be named said.

Deepak Chhikara, who lives in north Delhi’s Rohini and travels to his office in Sonepat, said that it took him nearly one hour to cross the Singhu border on Wednesday. “I reached my office late by one hour. There was heavy checking of vehicles ,” he said.