Traffic snarls continue on Delhi borders as farmers’ protests enter Day 8

Commuters to and from Delhi continued to suffer as multiple borders connecting the national capital to surrounding states remained sealed on Friday as farmers carried on with their protests against the three agricultural reforms introduced by the central government for more than a week now.

Delhi Traffic Police, through a series of tweets on Friday morning, updated that the Tikri border along with Jharoda, Chilla, Gazipur and several multiple border points were closed for traffic movement. It added that National Highway NH-44 was closed from both sides. They also urged residents to opt for alternative routes via the National Highway (NH)-8/Bhopra/Apsara border/Peripheral expressway.

“Singhu, Lampur, Auchandi, Safiabad, Piao Maniyari, and Saboli borders are closed. NH 44 is closed on both sides. Pl take alternate routes via NH8/Bhopra /Apsara border /Peripheral expressway,” it said.

Meanwhile, Badusarai border is open only for light motor vehicles (LMVs) like cars and two-wheelers, while Jhatikara border is open only for the two-wheeler traffic.

It has been eight days since farmers, mainly from Punjab and Haryana, have been protesting against the Centre’s farm laws. Thursday’s meeting at Vigyan Bhawan between the Union ministers and the representative of farmers’ groups which went on for over seven hours seemed to move a little ahead. Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar had the government has no ego and it was discussing the issues raised by farmers with an open mind. Another round of talks will be held on Saturday.

The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 were introduced by Parliament in September.

While the Centre continues to maintain that these laws would eliminate middlemen and enable farmers to sell their produce in commercial markets, farmers fear they would be denied the right to the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for their produce and big corporations would exercise control over them.