JAMS A REGULAR FEATURE IN CENTRAL DELHI

On an average, a dozen protests take place in Lutyens’ Delhi every day. Of these, anywhere between one to three demonstrations spill out on the roads, threatening to disrupt traffic in the New Delhi area.

While the local police and the traffic unit take credit for their preparations for planned or permitted demonstrations, surprises sprung by protesters have often left the police red-faced and the commuters stranded.

Jammed roads in New Delhi streets through Monday afternoon were no rare occurrence. The Parliament Street being closed for traffic is a regular feature whenever even a 500-odd group of protesters step beyond Jantar Mantar.

But when the mess goes beyond Jantar Mantar and Parliament Street, the police are often found wanting. As vehicles begin piling up, roads from Connaught Place outer circle to India Gate C-Hexagon get clogged.

On Monday, the local police said they did not anticipate a turnout of over 3,000 anganwadi workers. They had believed they would be able to manage the protesters who were in any case not granted permission to stage a march from Ramlila Ground to Jantar Mantar.

“There is usually a smaller turnout for such marches and they occupy only one stretch of road.. But Monday’s protest left multiple stretches of roads blocked,” said a traffic officer explaining the reason for the jam.

But the police have been caught unprepared even on occasions when they were totally aware of the turnout. The Jat protests in February had led to massive jams in New Delhi despite elaborate arrangements.