In order to thwart the farmers' protest, police blocked the Singhu and Tikri borders with many layers of barricades and caused traffic to move at a snail's pace in many areas of the Delhi-National Capital Region on Tuesday. Travelers had to endure massive traffic jams as Delhi turned into a fortress, with officers outfitted with anti-riot gear stationed at strategic locations and concrete and metal barriers controlling access to numerous important thoroughfares.
Due to stringent security measures of police, the Ghazipur border area had major roadblocks. Compounding commuters' woes, police implemented strict security measures, allowing two vehicles to pass at a time, with barricades installed on half of the major stretch connecting Noida and Delhi.
After feeling hopeless and desperate at being stuck at the Ghazipur border for hours, Uttarakhand resident Arun Singh remarked on his way to visit his father who was in poor health at the Lok Nayak Hospital in Delhi, said "I am traveling from Uttarakhand to meet my 78-year-old father, My family and I have been struck here since 11 am. It is an extremely frustrating situation for us and we feel angry and helpless," as reported by PTI.
Farmers are marching toward Delhi in support of a minimum support price (MSP) law after their demands were not met in a meeting with a group of Union ministers. According to the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political), the farmers would travel to Delhi, to put pressure on the Center to grant their requests.
Due to the 'Delhi Chalo' protest march, Police have heightened security measures at the city's border areas, deploying multiple layers of barricades, concrete barriers, iron nails, and container walls. Heavy traffic congestion was observed at the Ghazipur, Singhu, and Tikri borders starting from 7 a.m., with traffic movement being halted at Singhu and Tikri later in the afternoon.
After being stuck in traffic for at least an hour, Julie Lawrance said. "I knew about the farmers' march scheduled for today and left for office an hour earlier from Gurugram's Sector 29. Seeing the traffic situation, it seems I will reach my office in central Delhi a couple of hours late," reported PTI.
Due to roadblocks, vehicles on the Delhi-Meerut expressway have also been traveling very slowly, covering a distance of two to three kilometers. Barbed wire, trucks, and concrete barricades are used to block the service lanes, making it difficult for regular traffic to pass through the region. At the Ghazipur border service road, about 100-150 police officers were on duty.
According to a traffic police officer, over two lakh individuals travel between Delhi and Gurugram every day during working hours, who suggested that commuters take the Metro train service. Additionally, security has been strengthened along the Delhi-Noida overpass. The placement of barricades in the area has disrupted traffic flow, resulting in significant delays for commuters.
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"I am heading towards Gurgaon... Even though I started early... I'm still running late due to these security arrangements," Rajeev, a commuter, said.
Another commuter identified as Adarsh after witnessing congestion and disruptions in the Gazipur border stated that he had been stuck for more than an hour due to the roadblocks. The affected roads in the region connect the city to Bareilly, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Rishikesh, Dehradun, Mussoorie, Muradabad, and Nainital, PTI reported.
Kritika Sharma, the next commuter, reported that she had left for work at six in the morning but was still caught in traffic at nine. Due to extensive barricading and police checks, there were lengthy car lines at the borders of Tikri and Singhu. Beyond the Singhu border, the highway has been closed to all vehicles, and traffic officials are requesting that drivers turn left or return.
In an apparent attempt to demonstrate support for the farmers who are demonstrating, other locals were also observed congregating near the Singhu border. One of them declared, "This is a fight for the farmers' rights", PTI reported.