Traffic crawls in Delhi despite Kanwar end, no rain

Delhi Traffic Police attributed the traffic jams to multiple factors, including road crashes, vehicle breakdowns, and rain-damaged roads.

New Delhi: Even though the annual Kanwar Yatra concluded on Tuesday and there was no rain on Wednesday, several parts of south, central, and north Delhi experienced severe traffic snarls throughout the day.

Massive traffic jam seen over outer Ring Road near Wazirabad in New Delhi on Wednesday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT PHOTO)

The affected routes included the Ring Road stretch between Sarai Kale Khan and South Extension via Ashram Chowk, the Outer Ring Road from Ram Tula Ram to Modi Mill flyover, Mathura Road stretch between Ashram Chowk and Badarpur, Eastern Avenue-CV Raman Marg between Maharani Bagh and Sukhdev Vihar Metro Station, and Okhla Road.

The Maa Anandmayi Marg, Eco Park Road and GD Birla Marg leading towards Jasola and Madanpur Khadar from the Noida-Kalindi Kunj border, Okhla Estate Marg, Aurobindo Marg, Mehrauli-Badarpur Road and Mehrauli-Gurugram Road also witnessed traffic congestion.

Delhi Traffic Police attributed the traffic jams to multiple factors, including road crashes, vehicle breakdowns, and rain-damaged roads.

Accidents were reported on the Outer Ring Road near the IIT Delhi metro station and Mathura Road near the Badarpur flyover in the morning, and on the Delhi Noida Direct (DND) flyway’s carriageway towards Noida in the afternoon.

Breakdowns of heavy and mini commercial and private vehicles were reported on the Mathura Road’s carriageway towards Ashram Chowk near the CRRI in Sukhdev Vihar, on the Ring Road near Maharani Bagh, and on the CV Raman Marg near Taimoor Nagar, police said.

Despite accidents, vehicle breakdowns, and broken roads, the Delhi Traffic Police issued no advisories on their social media platforms, including “X,” where they have 1.5 million followers, to inform the public about congested roads or the reasons for traffic snarls.

The 19-km Outer Ring Road between Rao Tula Ram Marg and Okhla remained the worst-hit route,, with heavy congestion between Munirka and the IIT flyover, Panchsheel Park and the Chirag Delhi metro station, and between Nehru Place and the Modi Mill flyover.

A traffic police officer said the congestion between Munirka and IIT flyover was mainly due to a fatal road crash near the IIT Delhi Metro station in which a man riding a motorcycle was killed.

“The accident involved the bike and a concrete-mixture truck. Passersby gathered near the accident spot, which was also cordoned off for forensic examination. It slowed down the vehicular movement and led to a traffic snarl. However, by noon, normal traffic was resumed on the stretch,” said the officer.

While a road crash caused the traffic chaos near the IIT campus, the situation was no different on the route near the Panchsheel Park and Chirag Delhi Metro station, and between Nehru Place and the Modi Mill flyover, where commuters experienced traffic gridlock throughout the day. No specific reasons were provided by traffic officials from the concerned areas.

“Only a few traffic personnel are seen on the roads, and those present are busy stopping violators. Their primary job should be clearing traffic,” said Mahadev Rathi, who drives from Mahipalpur to Chirag Delhi.

Both carriageways of the Ring Road’s stretch between Sarai Kale Khan and Lajpat Nagar were jam-packed throughout the day.

“Around noon, which is considered a non-peak hour in Delhi, a massive bottleneck was on the stretch from Sarai Kale Khan loop to Ashram Chowk, and vehicles moved at a snail’s pace. It took me 25 minutes to cover 200 metres. I took the detour on the CV Raman Marg, but it was equally congested,” said Rajesh Shankar Mishra, a commuter.

“A mechanic was repairing the vehicle in the middle of the road, but no traffic policeman was present for any assistance,” he alleged.

Similar traffic congestion was witnessed at Sardar Patel Marg, Purana Quila-India Gate Circle Road, Ashoka Road, Rafi Marg, KG Marg, Barakhambha Road, Panchkuian Road, and the Patel Nagar-Shadipur route, ITO, Delhi Gate, Red Fort and Kashmere Gate.