India

Heavy Traffic in Delhi as Opposition Rally and Diwali Rush Converge

By Karn Pratap Singh

Central, south, north and east Delhi arterial roads were congested with bumper‑to‑bumper traffic on Saturday. Commuters reported gridlock caused by the last weekend before Diwali, restrictions for National Unity Day events, vehicle breakdowns, and security arrangements for the opposition INDIA bloc’s rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday. Ongoing construction in key south Delhi areas and traffic chaos around Sarai Kale Khan—where traffic from the newly opened Barapullah Phase‑3 flyover and the Delhi‑Mumbai Expressway merges onto the already congested Ring Road—exacerbated the situation. Heavy traffic was also observed on both carriageways of the Ring Road between Bhikaji Cama Place and the Indraprastha flyover, on the Delhi‑Meerut Expressway (NH‑9), and on the Delhi‑Noida Direct flyway toward Sarai Kale Khan from Ghaziabad, east Delhi and Noida. Queues exceeding one kilometre were seen toward Ghaziabad from the MCD toll tax booths at Ghazipur in the afternoon. Drivers cited a couple of vehicle breakdowns, including a truck near the Ghazipur border, and haphazard toll tax collection from commercial vehicles as primary causes of the deadlock. In south Delhi, the Ring Road between Sarai Kale Khan and Bhikaji Cama Place was choked mainly by four to five roadside fruit vendors. A police officer said the city regularly disperses such vendors, but they often return or change spots. Traffic congestion was also reported on the Ring Road toward Lajpat Nagar and on the opposite carriageway near Kilokari. A traffic police officer noted that the department has increased its presence on affected roads and that the traffic control room monitors the situation through Google Maps.