Kanwar Yatra, rain trigger long snarls on Delhi-Gurugram roads

Nearly 2,000 traffic personnel were deployed in Delhi for Kanwar duty, while Gurugram enforcement teams managed pilgrim and regular traffic.

Prolonged traffic snarls were reported across parts of the Delhi-Gurugram expressway and Delhi on Monday as the final days of the Kanwar Yatra coincided with peak-hour traffic, road closures in neighbouring districts and heavy afternoon rain, traffic police officials said.

Gurugram saw congestion from Narsinghpur to Sector 34, Jharsa to Ambience Mall and Rajiv Chowk to Badshahpur on Sohna Road. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

In Gurugram, congestion was reported from Narsinghpur to Sector 34 and Jharsa towards Ambience Mall via the Sector 30/31 junction and Sarhol border and from Rajiv Chowk to Badshahpur on Sohna Road. Both carriageways of NH-48 saw snarls of up to seven kilometres between Jharsa Chowk and Ambience Mall.

“Even though the situation remained under control during the day, entry of convoys of pilgrims entering onto the highways caused congestion during rush hours, starting from around 7pm,” a senior Gurugram traffic police official said, requesting anonymity.

A spot check around 6pm at the Sector 30/31 junction found pilgrim convoys occupying multiple lanes on the Delhi-Gurugram carriageway, with the tailback extending to Leisure Valley Park in Sector 29. Ahsas Taluja, a frequent commuter from Gurugram to Delhi, said travel time between the Sarhol border and Rajiv Chowk doubled in the evening due to motorcycles, mini trucks and SUVs accompanying the pilgrims.

Heavy snarl on the Delhi-Gurugram Expressway on Monday afternoon. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

Mahabir Singh, traffic in charge of highways, said enforcement had been increased at entry and exit points and critical junctions. “Separate lanes on highways’ service lanes were formed for Kanwar pilgrims. Enforcement teams directed pilgrims to use those lanes. In contrast, regular traffic, too, was disciplined to travel in designated lanes,” he said. Vehicular movement returned to normal around 10.30pm.

Heavy traffic at the Sector 30/31 junction on Monday evening. (HT Photo)

In Delhi, severe congestion was reported in south, east, northeast and west Delhi, particularly around Kalindi Kunj, Ghazipur, Anand Vihar and Dilshad Garden. Traffic police said nearly 2,000 personnel were deployed for Kanwar duty.

The situation was further worsened by closures in Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Noida, including parts of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and GT Road. With the DME closed, traffic shifted to NH-9, where bottlenecks extended nearly 2km towards Ghaziabad. Heavy rain also caused waterlogging and vehicle breakdowns.

Delhi traffic police issued an advisory warning of further disruption on August 12-15 due to the Bharat Vyapar Mahotsav at Bharat Mandapam. Commuters were advised to avoid Mathura Road and Bhairon Marg during peak hours.