Traffic jammed as cops close off Nelson Mandela Marg
TRAFFIC SPILLED OVER ON TO NEIGHBOURING ROADS, TRIGGERING SNARLS ON VASANT KUNJ MARG, ABDUL GAFFAR KHAN MARG AND PALAM MARG
NEW DELHI: The protests by JNU students Monday triggered severe snarls in south Delhi as the agitation forced the police to close 3km long stretch of Nelson Mandela Marg from Monday afternoon to evening.
Apart from the area around the JNU campus, places such as Vasant Kunj, Vasant Vihar and Munirka witnessed traffic chaos as motorists complained of being stuck for hours. Many who were on their way to the airport were also caught in the gridlock.
The problem began soon after JNU students gathered outside the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) on Nelson Mandela Marg on Monday morning.
“The number of students and police personnel was so large that it was impossible for vehicles to ply on the road,” a traffic police officer said.
Initially, the traffic police advised commuters against taking the Baba Gangnath Marg from the Nelson Mandela Marg to JNU. But by 12.45pm, the traffic police had to block both carriageways of the Nelson Mandela Marg from Vasant Kunj police station to Vasant Vihar police station.
The traffic spilled over on to neighbouring roads, triggering snarls on major roads such as the Vasant Kunj Marg, Abdul Gaffar Khan Marg, the Palam Flyover and the Palam Marg.
Most residents of Vasant Kunj, Mahipalpur and nearby areas were stuck in traffic for hours, and were forced to look for alternative routes to reach their destinations.
Tired of waiting for the roads to clear up, some commuters got off buses and cabs and walked long distances to escape the jams. On Twitter, a man named Ashok Malik reached out to the traffic police to complain that a school bus with children inside was stuck in the jam near Ambience Mall.
The traffic police officer said enough personnel had been deployed in the area to divert vehicles. The jams eased only around 6.45pm when the protesters dispersed. The traffic police said once the situation became better on Baba Gangnath Marg,vehicles were allowed on the Nelson Mandela Marg after 6.45pm.