Traffic chaos continues at Delhi-Noida borders amid security set up for farmers’ protest
Traffic movement remained slow on Tuesday as well due to barricading as part of the security set up at Delhi-Noida borders over the farmers’ protest march towards the national capital that began on Monday.
Farmers gathered at the Mahamaya flyover on the Dadri-Noida link road and began their march around 11.30am on Monday to press their demands for land allocation and increased compensation for their lands acquired by the government, among other things.
The protest call was given by the Bharatiya Kisan Parishad (BKP).
Massive traffic snarls caused inconvenience to commuters crossing the Delhi-Noida border on Monday. Vehicular moved slowly in parts of Delhi and Noida due to the security arrangement on Tuesday as well. The busy Mahamaya Flyover of Noida was among the areas that saw traffic jams.
Farmers’ protest
According to the BKP, farmers from 20 districts of Uttar Pradesh, including Aligarh and Agra, took part in the march.
Carrying banners and flags of various farmer groups, hundreds of protesters crossed the initial barricades erected by Noida Police. While some climbed over the barricades, others pushed them.
They were finally stopped by police near Dalit Prerna Sthal on Noida Link Road, around 1 km from the Chilla border, an entry point to Delhi. Senior police officers tried to pacify the protesting farmers.
Due to the farmers protest and checking by police, commuters travelling via Chilla border, DND flyway, Delhi Gate and Kalindi Kunj weere stuck in traffic for hours.
Aprajita Singh, a resident of Greater Noida, said the barricades put up at the Chilla border were causing major inconvenience to commuters.
“It took me about an hour to get through that stretch. Police have set up barricades on both sides of the Delhi-Noida border, causing significant traffic congestion, especially on the carriageway from Noida to Delhi,” news agency PTI quoted Singh as saying.
Another commuter, Amit Thakur of Noida, said due to the heavy traffic, he ditched his car and took the metro to get to work.
“When I checked the traffic situation before leaving for my office in central Delhi, it showed heavy congestion near the Chilla border, adding an hour to the travel time. So, I decided to take the metro instead,” he said.
A group of farmers from Punjab, led by Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), has called for a march towards Delhi on December 6. The group has been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13.