Expect traffic congestion till Aug 1: Gurgaon police

Until the kanwar yatra and monsoons are over, there is likely to be no respite from traffic woes in Gurgaon

There may be no respite from traffic woes on Gurgaon roads, especially on the Delhi Gurgaon Expressway, at least until kanwar yatra and monsoon season are over.

Kanwarias pass through the lane marked for them on the service lane of the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway. (Parveen Kumar/HT File Photo)

An official advisory issued by Gurgaon police said on Tuesday that the traffic on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, notorious for jams, will remain slow till the pilgrimage ends on August 1. Police, however, say that arrangements had been made to ensure that the pilgrimage does not affect traffic.

“Traffic is going to be slow, esp NH8, in Gurgaon till 1Aug due to “Kanwar Yatra”. Max force deployed to make it as hassle free as possible, (SIC)” police tweeted the official handle @gurgaonpolice.

Kanwar yatra is an annual pilgrimage, one of the largest in north India. Kanwarias carrying Ganga water from Haridwar, Uttarakhand, pass through Gurgaon en route to Shiva temples in their home towns in Haryana and neighbouring Rajasthan.

Deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Balbir Singh said the expressway will have to make space for pilgrims on the service lanes in addition to the routine peak-hour rush traffic.

“We have the same infrastructure but the number of vehicles is increasing. Commuters will have to bear the inconvenience till the yatra is over,” Singh said.

The police and administration have used jersey barriers to demarcate a corridor for Kanwarias on the service lane. Besides, 1,000 police personnel and 400 home guards are on duty to manage the traffic.

Police have also requested pilgrims to play their music softly and asked commuters to slow down whenever they cross pilgrims.

Monday was a chaotic day after office-goers returned to work after the weekend. Traffic snarls were reported across the city till noon.