LIGHTS, CROWD & CHAOS

As the festive season kicks in, capital's bustling markets light up with enthusiasm and mirthful cheer. But the joy is tampered by traffic snarls, overcrowding, and heightened security concerns, report Nitin Rawat, Prabhat Shukla and Anup Verma

- Nitin Rawat, Prabhat Shukla and Anup Verma

As the festive season sweeps through Delhi, the city's streets turn into a dilemma that alive with colours, lights, and celebration, yet locked with honking cars and endless queues of traffic.

The festival often comes at the cost of long jams, choked roads, leaving commuters and the government authorities in a difficult situation.

The market associations stated that they keep telling the shopkeepers that they should be vigil and keep an eye for any unsuspected article or person near their shops. Police stated that they are holding meetings with the RWAs and MWAs and also keeping a tab on parking issue in order to ensure smooth flow of traffic.

Ashok Randhawa, president of the Sarojini Nagar Mini Market Association, said they are assisting the police with security checks, especially during times when the market sees large crowds.

"We have given 10 private guards to the police so that they can help the security personnel in checking and other things. The market has five gates and five guards are deployed there with the police personnel," he said.

Due to the 2005 bomb blast, special force placed at the Sarojini Nagar market. Randhawa further stated that they have also asked the shopkeepers to place a person outside their shop to keep a watch. A circular has also been issued to all the shopkeepers stating the need to keep an eye on suspicious activities for security reasons.

Spoiler ahead

The bustling lanes of Lajpat Nagar are once again at the center of festive fervor as thousands of Delhites flock to the market ahead of Navratri. While the atmosphere is charged with excitement, the overwhelming crowd has also created a nightmare of traffic jams, congestion, and frayed tempers for commuters and shoppers alike.