Delhi-NCR Traffic Advisories Issued as Farmers Set to Resume March | Check Routes To Avoid

Police have issued traffic alerts for the Delhi-NCR region as protesting farmers are set to resume their ‘Delhi chalo’ march from the Shambhu and Khanauri points on the Punjab-Haryana border following the four rounds of inconclusive talks with Centre over a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

The Delhi traffic police issued an alert asking commuters to avoid several roads in the central parts of the national capital due to special traffic arrangements.

“On 21-02-24, due to special traffic arrangements kindly avoid IP Marg in both the carriageways from IP Flyover towards  A-point and vice-versa, ITO Chowk, DDU Marg, BSZ marg, JLN Marg , Shanti Van crossing and Rajghat crossing from 0930 hrs to 1130 hrs,” the advisory said.

Police said areas around the national capital’s three border points might witness heavy traffic due to road closures.

Tikri and Singhu on the Delhi-Haryana border have been sealed with heavy deployment of police personnel and multiple layers of barricades. Police said they might seal the Ghazipur border, too, if need be.

Farmers from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on February 13 morning began their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march to press for their demands, amid heavy barricading at Haryana-Punjab border and entry points into the National Capital. However, most of them were stopped by security personnel at Shambhu and Khanauri points on Punjab’s border with Haryana. The protesters have stayed put at the two border points since then.

Over 200 farmers’ unions, including the Samyukta Kisan Morcha and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, are taking part in the march to press the Centre to accept their demands.

Besides a legal guarantee of MSP, the farmers are demanding the implementation of the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations, pension for farmers and farm labourers, farm debt waiver, no hike in electricity tariff, withdrawal of police cases and “justice” for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, and compensation to the families of the farmers who died during a previous agitation in 2020-21.

Traffic Diversions in Greater Noida

Commuters in Greater Noida may have to face traffic diversions on Wednesday due to a protest march called by the Bharatiya Kisan Union (Tikait), the local police said.

Farmers have planned to converge at the Knowledge Park metro station on tractors and private vehicles. 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, 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.

Earlier in the day, BKU national spokesperson Rakesh Tikait had announced that farmers’ will stage protests outside collectorate offices in every district of the state. Tikait made the announcement while addressing a farmers’ congregation at Sisauli in Muzaffarnagar. “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.

(With PTI inputs)