TRAFFIC MAYHEM IN MANY PARTS OF DELHI DUE TO STIR

New Delhi, Jan. 26: Traffic went haywire on national capital roads on Tuesday as the tractor parade taken out by farmers spilled into many parts of the city and reached Central Delhi’s ITO and Red Fort areas despite police raising barricades and checkpoints at multiple places.

Wielding sticks and clubs and holding the tricolour and union flags, tens of thousands of farmers atop tractors broke barriers, clashed with police and entered Delhi from various points to lay siege to the Red Fort and climb the flagpole on Republic Day.

The traffic on the city roads, though thin due to the Republic Day holiday, was thrown completely out of gear with hordes of protesting farmers deviating from the pre-designed rally routes and driving their tractors towards Delhi from Singhu, Tikri, Ghazipur and other border points. However, the traffic on most roads in the city was restored by around 9 pm, according to the traffic police.

As police and farmers involved in clashes at many places earlier in the day, some parts of the city were cut off, with the Traffic Police regulating movement of vehicles in view of presence of farmers at places such as ITO, Red Fort, Nangloi, Anand Vihar, Mukarba Chowk and Akshardham.

The traffic police took to Twitter to update commuters about situation developing on roads in different parts of the city. “Traffic is very heavy on GTK road, Outer Ring Road, Badli road, KN Katzu Marg, Madhuban Chowk, Kanjhawala Road, Palla Road, Narela & DSIDC Narela roads. Please avoid these roads. Traffic is very heavy on Wazirabad road, ISBT road, GT road, Pushta road, Vikas marg, NH-24, Road no. 57, Noida link road. Please avoid these roads,” it tweeted in the afternoon hours.