Long jams, no cops in sight: Festival rush cripples roads

NEW DELHI: Traffic in large parts of the capital ground to a standstill on Wednesday as festive rush turned roads into parking lots, leaving commuters trapped for hours in what many residents called a "traffic emergency".

- Hemani Bhandari and Gargi Shukla

Congestion on the ring road near Sarai Kalan Khan on Wednesday.

(SANJEEV VERMA/HT PHOTO)

The Delhi Traffic Police -whose primary job is to manage traffic and keep the city moving - were conspicuously absent from the clogged intersections.

All day on Wednesday - not just during peak hours - there were reports of heavy congestion across the city, particularly impacting the Okhla-Noida link road, NH48 towards Dhaula Kuan, Outer Ring Road, and Ring Road, as well as adjoining areas like Savitri Flyover, Chirag Dilli, Greater Kailash, Nehru Place, Moolchand, Hauz Khas, Khanpur, Ashram Underpass, Mukarba Chowk, Azadpur Mandi roundabout and parts of east Delhi. A senior traffic police officer, on the condition of anonymity, blamed the situation on the festival season.

"People have holidays due to Dussehra and Durga Puja which is why there is heavy rush on the roads." The officer did not explain why traffic police personnel were absent from the roads despite the situation.