Traffic mayhem likely on key routes as Bharat Jodo Yatra to enter Delhi today

The march is expected to draw a large number of participants on vehicles and foot, a traffic police advisory said, urging people headed to bus terminals, train stations, and the airport to plan travel with ample time on their hands.

New Delhi: The Capital is bracing for traffic jams, disruptions and possible diversions through the day across south and central Delhi on Saturday when the Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra enters the city from Faridabad, making its way from Badarpur in the morning to culminate at the Red Fort in the evening via some of the city’s busiest intersections including Ashram Chowk and ITO.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra at Ferozepur Jhirka in Mewat, in Gurugram. (HT Photo)

The march is expected to draw a large number of participants on vehicles and foot, a traffic police advisory said, urging people headed to bus terminals, train stations, and the airport to plan travel with ample time on their hands.

“Commuters are requested to cooperate by avoiding or bypassing the affected roads and make maximum use of public transport to ensure a pleasant journey. There will be graded and dynamic diversion to ensure smooth traffic management and facilitate commuters while ensuring safety of pedestrians on roads,” said the advisory.

For much of the Capital leg of its nationwide march on Saturday, the Congress and its supporters are expected to follow the arterial Mathura Road -- entering at Badarpur around 6.30am and passing through some of the city’s most traffic-heavy areas of Sarita Vihar, Ashram and Nizamuddin – till they hit the Lutyens area near the Oberoi hotel.

The march is expected to halt at the Jairam Ashram at Ashram for a two-and-a-half hour break at around 10.45am.

The march will, according to plans shared by the party, continue from Nizamuddin straight on to the Zakir Hussain Marg to reach India Gate, from where it will take the Tilak Marg to continue on to the ITO area (through Bahadurshah Zafar Marg), before crossing Delhi Gate and making its way through Netaji Subhash Marg to reach the Red Fort, where the march is expected to conclude at around 4.30pm. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and a smaller group of leaders are expected to then proceed to Raj Ghat to pay respects to national leaders.

‘Diversions will depend on traffic situation’

The route, officials said, was indicative and discussed with the party, and diversions may take place depending on how the situation unfolds on Saturday, officials said.

Some of the key roads intersecting or areas close to the path of the march, where spillover effects are likely to be felt, include Ashram Chowk, Mandi House, Minto Road, Raj Ghat Chowk, India Gate C-Hexagon, and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg.

At least 350,000 vehicles use the Ashram intersection every day -- which is anyway affected by a series of poorly managed infrastructure projects running simultaneously -- and over a 100,000 people visit India Gate each weekend, according to estimates by traffic police.

The crowding may well be more this weekend due to Christmas, for which the traffic police issued a separate advisory, identifying at least 15 stretches and areas with potentially high congestion from Saturday evening until Sunday. These were identified as Gol Dak Khana, Lodhi Road, Aurobindo Marg, Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Patel Chowk, Church Road, Ring Road near Majnu Ka Tila, and Sansad Marg.

“The primary motive of Delhi Traffic Police is to ensure that minimum inconvenience is caused to commuters. Diversions have been planned keeping that in mind and may be made depending on situation as well,” a traffic police officer aware of the plan said.

“My house is a few metres away from Mathura Road. I had to go out on Saturday for some important work but I do not think I will be able to because of the Bharat Jodo Yatra. I was thinking of taking the Metro but I was warned against it as people who will not be able to use the roads are likely to throng the Metro as well,” said a resident of Sarita Vihar who asked not to be named.

Anil Bharadwaj, chairman, communications department of Delhi Congress, said around 40,000 people from different parts of the Capital have filled forms to join the march.

The march, which began on September 7 from Kanyakumari and is currently traversing through Haryana, was planned by the Congress to connect with the masses and to raise issues such as unemployment, inflation and poverty.

It is expected to culminate in Kashmir early next year.

Sanjay Bhargava, president, Chandni Chowk Sarv Vyapar Mandal, said that police have not communicated anything to traders in Chandni Chowk and they are anticipating some impact on their business.

“It’s the Christmas eve and after redevelopment, Chandni Chowk is like a carnival around festivals. If police will not make apt arrangements for people to enter the premises and shut roads, then it is going to impact our businesses. It’s also a Saturday which means there will be a lot of rush of devotees who come to visit Hanuman temple here. The problem is that while police officials are present on the roads that are shut and let participants of such events walk smoothly, there are no or less officials managing traffic on diverted routes,” he said.