Police on toes as farmers threaten to intensify stir

Farmer unions leading the protests in Delhi said more farmers from Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab are expected to join their agitation from Friday night and on Saturday.

Delhi Police have decided to double down on security at the Capital’s borders during the weekend in wake of threat by protesting farmer leaders to intensify their agitation against three new farm laws passed by the Centre. The Delhi traffic police too have decided to increase their presence in border areas so that vehicular movement is not disrupted.

Farmers leading the protests in Delhi said more people from Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab were expected to join. (Sanchit Khanna/HT)

Farmer unions leading the protests in Delhi said more farmers from Maharashtra, Haryana and Punjab are expected to join their agitation from Friday night and on Saturday. As per All India Kisan Sabha’s Punjab general secretary Major Singh Punawal, the Jaipur-Delhi Expressway will be blocked on Saturday. Large protests will be held at toll plazas on Saturday and Monday, and the toll plazas will be made free across the country, he said.

Senior officials of the Delhi traffic police said that though their priority will be to not let traffic movement within the city or around the borders be affected, the department is ready with a “contingency plan” to ensure there is no disruption.

On Saturday, nearly 4,000 traffic personnel will be deployed across the city to man traffic movements. Majority of this force will be stationed at border points, the police said.

On Friday , the Delhi traffic police had a meeting with local traffic units and with police teams from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to decide on a contingency plan. This included a plan of alternative routes to be used in case any additional entry point into the city is blocked.

All the traffic circle inspectors were informed about their place of deployment and given a list of alternative borders and routes through which movement of vehicles between Delhi-Haryana and Delhi-Uttar Pradesh can be diverted if the main borders are blocked by protesting farmers or workers of political parties and various unions that have supported the nationwide strike, said a traffic police officer.

At present, seven border crossings into the national Capital have been completely shut by the protesters. These include Singhu, Tikri, Auchandi, Jharoda, Piao Maniyari, and Mungeshwar in outer and south-western parts of the city and Chilla border, connecting Delhi and Noida, in east Delhi. Apart from these seven points, the Delhi-Meerut expressway at Ghazipur-Ghaziabad (UP Gate) border is closed for vehicles coming to Delhi from the Ghaziabad side, while the opposite carriageway through which vehicles move towards Ghaziabad is open. The service road of NH-24 at the UP gate border is also closed, as protesting farmers have occupied it for the past 10 days.

Traffic police officials said due to the closure of the seven borders, the available borders for movement between Delhi and Haryana would be Lampur, Safiabad, Saboli, Dhansa, Daurala, Kapashera, Rajokri NH-8, Bijwasan, Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera.

“Similarly, motorists travelling between Delhi and UP are advised to take Apsara, Bhopra, Anand Vihar, Kalindi Kunj, DND, New Ashok Nagar, Kondli and Dallupura to avoid traffic chaos. In case, some of these borders are also disrupted, there are porous borders through which vehicles will be diverted,” said another traffic officer.