The Ghaziabad traffic police on Monday issued an advisory urging commuters to avoid using the UP Gate border with east Delhi on Tuesday (February 13), when farmers from Punjab and Haryana are scheduled to march to Delhi once again to demand action on their numerous demands. This is because the last time farmers marched to Delhi in 2020 resulted in widespread tensions and violence.
On Monday, however, travelers said that since the Delhi Police had placed roadblocks at two key locations along National Highway 9 (NH-9), they had already begun to experience severe traffic jams.
The three major locations of the year-long farmers’ protest in 2020–21 were Singhu, Ghazipur (UP Gate border), and Tikri border points. Delhi Police has increased security at these locations. Police have set up strong barricades and drove nails into sections of the road in anticipation of another farmer blockade, which is expected to occur. This is done to prevent farmer cars from accessing the national capital.
In order to impede traffic, big containers are also being placed on the roadways using cranes and earthmovers.
The NH-9 road that runs from Ghaziabad to east Delhi and the other route that runs from Delhi to Kaushambi is blocked, according to Ghaziabad traffic police officers.
Due to the heavy traffic on Monday morning, we had to reroute some vehicles to the neighboring boundary of Anand Vihar. Barricades have also been erected there, although car entrance is still permitted. The traffic was moving slowly there. Virendra Kumar, an additional deputy commissioner of police for traffic, stated, “We urge commuters to use Anand Vihar, Surya Nagar, Gyani border, and Seemapuri border, to move to Delhi and avoid UP Gate on Tuesday.”
According to the ADCP, some sixty traffic police officers were sent out to oversee automobiles on Tuesday.
“When I left for work in Delhi on Monday morning, I saw that NH-9 was blocked off. At last, I entered Delhi via the Delhi-Meerut Expressway. I utilized the Anand Vihar border on the way back, although the traffic moved slowly. I’ll take Anand Vihar or the Surya Nagar border to go to work on Tuesday as well,” Indirapuram resident Kuldeep Saxena, a Shakti Khand, said.
Given that Anand Vihar is the closest border crossing to the UP Gate, I anticipate that Tuesday’s traffic at that point will be quite heavy. According to Kaushambi commuter Rachit Kumar, “traffic movement may be slow and commuters may also enter Kaushambi’s internal lanes.”
The Delhi-Meerut Expressway has fourteen lanes at UP Gate. These consist of the inner three lanes of the expressway on each side as well as the outer four lanes of NH-9 on each side.
Only on the basis of information received late Monday evening from the Delhi Police may the traffic police authorities close DME and other routes.
In a coordinated “Delhi Chalo” march, more than 200 farmers’ unions, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, are requesting that the Center respond to a number of their requests. According to police, these farmers are anticipated to travel from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh to Delhi on Tuesday.