Borders turn choke points as UP tightens travel rules

The Ghaziabad administration had on Monday again restricted movement between Delhi and Ghaziabad, citing an increase in Covid-19 cases with links to Delhi, especially since the beginning of May.

Long traffic jams were reported on Tuesday from Delhi’s borders with Noida and Ghaziabad as the Uttar Pradesh government tightened restrictions on the movement of commuters in a bid to contain the spread of Covid-19 infections in the state.

Commuters are stuck at the UP Gate border point near Ghazipur. (Ajay Aggarwal /HT PHOTO)

At UP Gate near Ghazipur, where Ghaziabad shares a border with east Delhi, commuters were stranded after the police did not allow people, barring exempted categories, to enter the capital on district magistrate Ajay Shankar Pandey’s orders .

The Ghaziabad administration had on Monday again restricted movement between Delhi and Ghaziabad, citing an increase in Covid-19 cases with links to Delhi, especially since the beginning of May.

“There were jams at the border as we conducted checks in compliance with the district magistrate’s order . We have opened the UP Gate and Anand Vihar-Kaushambi border, but people are allowed passage to Delhi only on the basis of passes issued by the administration,” Anshu Jain, Indirapuram’s circle officer, said.

“So far, we have allowed passage to vehicles involved in essential services at UP Gate,” she said.

Neeraj Kumar, who works with a private company in Lajpat Nagar said: “The police did not allow me entry to Delhi and I had to return home,” Kumar, a resident of Sanjay Nagar, Ghaziabad, said.

Vehicles engaged in essential services have been allowed to move without any restrictions while doctors, paramedics, police and bank employees will be asked to produce their identification cards.

Likewise, media persons and lawyers can also cross by showing their identity cards. Employees of private firms with offices in Delhi will have to apply for passes.

At the Noida border, snarls continued at all three border checkpoints with Delhi -- the DND Flyway, Kalindi Kunj, and Mayur Vihar -- especially during peak hours.

Despite relaxations in the fourth phase of the lockdown allowing interstate movement of public, the Gautam Budh Nagar administration continues to keep its border sealed, allowing only vehicles of essential services, lawyers, travellers with confirmed tickets and people with administrative passes to pass through.

“Traffic volume has gone up since all offices in Delhi and Noida are now open and to manage the situation, we have opened more lanes on DND Flyway (the access-controlled highway connecting Delhi and Noida). But there are still many people out there who are trying to travel without any particular reason,” deputy commissioner of police, zone 1, Sankalp Sharma said.