Ghaziabad schools closed till July 23 for Kanwar Yatra

Officials said they intend to prevent inconvenience to schoolchildren and also to the Kanwariyas who have started coming in hordes from Haridwar and passing through Ghaziabad to their destinations

Ghaziabad: The Ghaziabad administration has announced closure of all schools in the district from July 17 to July 23 following imposition of major traffic diversions due to the annual Kanwar Yatra.

The Ghaziabad traffic police have already banned entry of heavy vehicles on the three Kanwar routes from July 11 while one carriageway (Meerut-Ghaziabad) of the Delhi-Meerut Road is reserved for Kanwariyas from July 14. (Sakib Ali/HT Photo)

Officials said they intend to prevent inconvenience to schoolchildren and also to the Kanwariyas who have started coming in hordes from Haridwar and passing through Ghaziabad to their destinations.

District magistrate (DM) Deepak Meena said all schools in the district shall remain closed from July 17 to July 23. An order to this effect was also used by the basic education department on Wednesday.

“All schools including those related to CBSE, ICSE, or any other boards, and others, will remain closed during the period. The decision has been taken so that schoolchildren do not face inconvenience due to traffic diversions. We also do not want Kanwariyas to be affected due to movement of school buses and other such vehicles,” the DM added.

In Ghaziabad, the Kanwar route spans 25km from Muradnagar to Tila Morh, and 42.5km from the Kadrabad border to the Delhi-Ghaziabad border. An auxiliary route of about 53km on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway and NH-9 will also be impacted.

The Ghaziabad traffic police have already banned entry of heavy vehicles on the three Kanwar routes from July 11 while one carriageway (Meerut-Ghaziabad) of the Delhi-Meerut Road is reserved for Kanwariyas from July 14.

This other (Ghaziabad to Meerut) carriageway is catering to the incoming (Meerut-Ghaziabad) and outgoing (Ghaziabad-Meerut) traffic.

Mukesh Kumar, who deals in vehicles’ shock absorbers at Muradnagar, said that there is a huge traffic bottleneck on the Ghaziabad to Meerut carriageway during peak hours. “The commuters going from Ghaziabad to Meerut and coming from Meerut to Ghaziabad are plying on one carriageway. So, a lot of traffic congestion is observed during peak hours. In between, locals also try to cross over the barricades to move to the other carriageway. Our businesses also remain low, and now I am selling saffron flags instead,” he added.

Ruchin Kumar, a commuter on Delhi Meerut Road, said that commuters spend hours to reach destinations during the diversion period.

“A trip to Meerut generally takes about 45-50 minutes on a two-wheeler. During diversion, this takes about 2-3 hours. The Namo Bharat trains is an option, but it is operational till Meerut (south). But again, last mile connectivity during diversion is also an issue for local commuters,” Kumar added.

Traffic police officials said there is heavy movement of Kanwariyas on the Delhi-Meerut Road, and in the next couple of days, there will be huge movement of Dak Kanwars.

“There was some hindrance to traffic when the diversion for light vehicles was put in place on July 14. However, we have identified several choke points and put up bollards/cones to properly divert traffic. Mobile traffic teams have also been deployed at every 5km. Closure of schools will also improve traffic situation,” said additional DCP (ADCP - traffic) Sacchidanand.

Officials said that all heavy vehicles are now using National Highway 9 and the Eastern Peripheral Expressway to move to their destinations.

“Only light vehicles are being allowed on Delhi Meerut Expressway on both carriageways, and these too will be banned from July 17 when there is movement of Dak Kanwars towards Haridwar and when they return from Haridwar,” the ADCP added.