Farmers protest: Massive traffic jams at Delhi's exit & entry points

Traffic jams were witnessed at the entry and exit points of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as police and paramilitary personnel equipped with anti-riot gear placed multiple layers of barricades, concrete blocks, iron nails and walls of containers in view of the ‘Delhi Chalo march’ call of farmers.

Long queues of vehicles were seen from 7 a.m. on the Gurugram- Delhi national highway. “I knew about the farmers coming towards Delhi today so I planned to go to office an hour earlier from my house in sector 32 Gurugram but seeing the traffic situation it seems that I will reach my office at Barakhamba road one hour late,” said Ankush, who was stuck in the jam for at least an hour.

A traffic official said that over two lakh people travel between Delhi and Gurugram each day during the working hours.

"It's advisable to utilise the Metro for commuting as security measures have been implemented. Additionally, we're continuously striving to redirect traffic through alternative routes," said a traffic cop.

Another traveller, Julie Lawrance, said, "I'm employed in Delhi, and I aimed to arrive at the office by 9 a.m. I departed from Gurugram at 6 a.m., but I am stuck in traffic for the past two hours."

Following the heavy barricading at the Singhu border, vehicles coming towards Delhi were also seen moving at snail’s pace.

At Tikri border, amid police checking and barricading, there were over two kilometres long queues of vehicles.

Similar scenes were also witnessed at the Ghazipur border with police blocking link roads and only allowing a single lane on highway on both carriageways for vehicles to enter and exit the national capital.

A significant traffic congestion also occurred near the Rajokri border, causing severe inconvenience to commuters who found themselves trapped in their vehicles for hours.

“Please be advised that due to the anticipated farmers' protest at different Delhi borders starting on 13.02.2024, there will be traffic diversions in effect. For commercial vehicles, traffic restrictions and diversions will be implemented starting from 12.02.2024. We recommend planning your trip accordingly and staying informed about potential delays and alternative routes. To ensure timely arrival, we strongly encourage travelers to utilize the Magenta Line for Terminal 1 (T1) or the airport metro for Terminal 3 (T3) for convenient transportation options,” the Delhi airport said in its advisory.

To stop the farmers from entering the national capital, the police along with the paramilitary forces have been deployed as security measures on Delhi borders, including at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, with cement blocks and pickets with nails installed on the approach roads.

Delhi Police implemented section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) citywide and fortified the borders as a precautionary measure. Delhi Police Commissioner Sanjay Arora issued these directives for the next 30 days to ensure law and order amidst planned farmer protests against the central government.

A total of 114 companies, including 64 from paramilitary forces and 50 from the Haryana Police, have been deployed across various districts. Equipped with anti-riot gear, these units are stationed in the border areas and sensitive districts. Additionally, surveillance technologies such as drones and CCTV cameras are being utilised to monitor any disruptive activities.