‘Windows vibrate all night’: Delhi bears brunt of Kanwar Yatra boombox chaos, residents say traffic worsens issue

Delhi residents are prepaing for traffic disruption and loud music as the Kanwar Yatra enters its peak movement, with heavy security and traffic restrictions.

Delhi is preparing to throw open its roads to the annual Kanwar Yatra, but for residents living along its routes, the pilgrimage is already becoming a familiar nightmare – a mix of blaring music, clogged roads and prolonged traffic disruption.

Kanwariyas seen travelling with large sound systems mounted on vehicles near Shahdra in New Delhi on Saturday. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)

Saturday marks the start of the first large influx of devotees, with the peak movement expected to continue till August 11. For residents, the concern is not the pilgrimage itself, but the disruption that accompanies it, with the city’s elaborate arrangements appearing more focused on facilitating the movement of pilgrims than enforcing rules against traffic violations and deafening sound systems.

15,000 security personnel deployed for yatra

The scale of preparations is striking. More than 15,000 security personnel have been deployed across the city for law-and-order arrangements along Kanwar routes and around camps. Yet residents allege that enforcement against the problems that directly affect them – roads being blocked, and deafening boom boxes turning neighbourhoods into late-night street concerts – remains far less visible.

The traffic plan itself acknowledges the scale of the disruption. Eight designated Kanwar routes cut through some of the Capital’s busiest corridors, including Ring Road, Mathura Road, Wazirabad Road, GT Road, Rohtak Road and Najafgarh Road. The police have warned commuters to avoid the designated routes during peak movement.

From Sunday, restrictions will become even more severe. The GT Road stretch between Apsara Border and Yamuna Bridge will be completely closed from 7am on August 9 until 8pm on August 12, with no general traffic permitted during the peak movement period. While traffic police have planned diversions down to individual corridors and intersections, residents say the same intensity of enforcement is not apparent when it comes to noise.

Residents flag loud music, traffic disruption

Triveni Mahajan, secretary of the Friends Colony East RWA, said trucks used by pilgrims are fitted with boom boxes so loud that they rattle the windows of homes along the main roads.

The problem, she said, is particularly worse this year as incessant rain over the past week has already strained traffic movement. “The situation becomes even more difficult because of the heavy traffic on Mathura Road and Ring Road. When these trucks get stationed or remain stuck in traffic, the prolonged noise and heavy bass add considerably to the agony and disturbance faced by residents in the area. Our windows literally vibrate,” she said.

Boomboxes blare loud music as Kanwariyas, devotees of Lord Shiva, carry holy water from the River Ganges during the annual Kanwar Yatra along NH 24 near Akshardham (RAJ K RAJ /HT PHOTO)

Others said that despite facing the disruption every year and repeatedly complaining to police, there is little action against the noise, which can continue for several nights. “We keep calling the police, but they don’t do anything. We would request that the authorities please look into this seriously and ensure that noise levels are monitored and regulated, particularly at the border areas. The children and the elderly suffer the most,” said Niha Naqvi, a resident of Okhla.

Residents have raised similar complaints in previous days, with reports of high-volume music continuing late into the night. Delhi Police has said personnel have stopped some vehicles and asked drivers to reduce the volume or disconnect sound systems, but no cases had been registered so far.

Traffic police deploy 2,000 personnel

The Delhi Traffic Police has prepared an extensive plan for the yatra, which officially began on July 30 and is expected to see its peak inflow between August 9 and 11. The plan identifies 306 regulation points and 308 Kanwar camps, with 1,828 traffic personnel listed for deployment across six police ranges. Eastern Delhi, which has 120 camps and 88 regulation points, has the largest deployment, with 640 personnel.

DCP (Traffic) K Ramesh said around 2,000 traffic personnel have been deployed for Kanwar duty across Delhi, including 644 in eastern parts of the city, where a large share of the influx is expected through the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh borders. “There are 306 traffic intersections that fall under the dedicated routes of the Kanwar Yatra in Delhi. The personnel have been asked to regulate the smooth flow of traffic on the designated routes and help commuters use the diverted/alternate routes to avoid traffic congestion,” he said.

Meanwhile, chief minister Rekha Gupta on Saturday visited a Kanwar Seva Camp near the Delhi-UP border at Dilshad Garden, welcomed Shiv devotees with flower petals and reviewed arrangements. She interacted with organisers and volunteers, checking food, water, sanitation, healthcare and other facilities, and reiterated the government’s commitment to a safe and convenient Kanwar Yatra.