The commuters in Ghaziabad faced massive traffic jams on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway on Wednesday in view of a protest march called by farmer unions. There was a huge jam on all the lanes going towards the national capital on the Delhi-Ghazipur border. The vehicles were moving slowly. Delhi Police installed barricades on each lane on the Ghazipur border due to the possibility of farmers reaching the national capital.
Delhi Eastern Range's Additional CP Sagar Singh Kalsi said there is no specific input as such regarding farmers coming to the Ghazipur side.
"We are at the Ghazipur border. We are coordinating with the Police in the adjacent districts of UP - Ghaziabad and Noida. There is no specific input as such regarding farmers coming to the Ghazipur side. But our more important priority is to maintain peace in the area. You can see that the traffic movement is going on smoothly...Our patrolling in the area is also going on so that crime and the situation in the area are under control...At present the traffic is smooth at all the major eastern borders in Delhi - Chilla Border, Ghazipur Border, NH9, Bhopra Border, Apsara Border and Meet Nagar. There is no diversion," he added.
Commuters in Greater Noida are also likely to face traffic diversions. The farmers of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait) have planned to converge at the Knowledge Park metro station on tractors and private vehicles, said the officials. Heavy traffic was witnessed on roads near the Delhi-Gurugram border.
Thereafter, they will take out a march that will pass the India Expo Mart, Sharda University, LG roundabout and Moser Bear roundabout to culminate at the Collectorate in Surajpur, according to police.
In view of the situation and in order to ensure smooth traffic movement, diversions, if required, may be placed from Galgotia Cut, Pari Chowk, LG Roundabout, Moser Bear Roundabout, Durga Talkies Roundabout and Surajpur Chowk, the police said.
"Emergency vehicles will be allowed to pass safely during traffic diversions. Please use alternative routes to avoid inconvenience and in case of traffic inconvenience, you can contact the traffic helpline number 9971009001," police said in the advisory.
BKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait, while addressing a farmers' congregation at Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar, said farmers will hold protests in every district in Uttar Pradesh.
"After February 21's march, we have programmes on February 26 and 27 in support of the issues raised by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political). Our tractors would move towards Delhi from all directions till the Ghazipur border," he said.
"We will not go into Delhi but park our tractors on the highways at the border. The government has time and it should negotiate with the farmers' committee (the SKM (Non-Political) team interacting with the Union Ministers)," he said.
Tikait also called upon the farming community to prepare for an "aandolan" if they have to save their lands.
(Zuber Akhtar/agency's inputs)
