Traffic Advisory Issued In Delhi To Alert Commuters As Kanwar Yatra Begins

As the Kanwar Yatra began on Friday, Delhi Traffic Police issued a detailed advisory alerting commuters about possible congestion and diversions on several major roads in the city over the next two weeks.

The yatra during which lakhs of devotees carry holy Ganga water to the temples of Lord Shiva will continue till July 23 (Chaturdashi Tithi) and is expected to see a footfall of 15 to 20 lakh pilgrims in the national capital.

The movement of kanwariyas and the setting up of Kanwar camps are likely to disrupt traffic flow on key roads, including Najafgarh Firni, Rohtak Road, Pankha Road, Dev Prakash Shastri Marg, Nangloi-Najafgarh Road, Outer Ring Road, Rani Jhansi Road (Baraf Khana Chowk to Fire Station), Boulevard Road, Azad Market Chowk, Gokulpuri Flyover, 66 Foota Road, Maujpur Chowk, Badarpur T Point and Mathura Road, said the advisory.

The traffic is also expected to remain heavy on NH-8, particularly between Dhaula Kuan Metro Station and Rajokri Border.

On NH-24, the diversions by Uttar Pradesh Police at Apsara and Maharajpur Borders are likely to impact traffic entering Delhi.

One of the main routes for kanwariyas starts at Apsara Border and goes through Shahdara Flyover, Seelampur T Point, ISBT Flyover, Boulevard Road, Rani Jhansi Road, Faiz Road, Upper Ridge Road, Dhaula Kuan and NH-8. From there, devotees will leave Delhi from the Rajokri Border and head towards Haryana.

Another route begins at Bhopura Border and goes through Wazirabad Road, Loni Flyover, Gokulpuri T Point, 66 Foota Road and Seelampur T Point before heading towards NH-1 and the new ISBT bridge.

A separate route from Bhopura Border passes through Wazirabad Road, Wazirabad Bridge, Outer Ring Road and Mukarba Chowk to NH-1. From there, devotees will either move out of Delhi through the Singhu Border or Mukarba Chowk, or travel further via Auchandi Border, Madhuban Chowk, Bawana Road and Peeragarhi to exit from Tikri Border.

The other routes that are likely to be busy include the ones coming in from Loni Border and Sonia Vihar Border. These go through Pusta Road, Khajoori Flyover and Wazirabad Road from the Uttar Pradesh side.

Devotees entering from the Maharajpur Border, Road No. 56 and Ghazipur area will use NH-24, Ring Road and Mathura Road, and exit Delhi from Badarpur Border.

Another group of kanwariyas will come from Kalindi Kunj and take Mathura Road to Modi Mill, then move along Maa Anandmai Marg and MB Road, finally reaching Badarpur Border.

Devotees will also be walking along New Rohtak Road from Kamal T Point to Tikri Border, and on Najafgarh Road between Zakhira and Najafgarh.

The traffic will also be affected on stretches such as Rohtak Road, where movement will be slow from Zakhira to Madipur, Peeragarhi Chowk, Nangloi Chowk, Mundka and up to Tikri Border. Similarly, Najafgarh Road is expected to be crowded from Zakhira to Uttam Nagar, Najafgarh Firni Road and Jharoda Border.

On Outer Ring Road, congestion is likely from Madhuban Chowk to Peeragarhi Chowk, Keshopur Mandi and District Centre Janakpuri. Dev Prakash Shastri Marg will also see heavy movement between Rattanpuri Chowk and Loha Mandi.

The advisory said heavy transport vehicles (HTVs) coming from Mohan Nagar will be diverted by Uttar Pradesh Police towards NH-24. These vehicles will not be allowed on Wazirabad Road via Bhopura or towards GT Road through Apsara Border.

Heavy vehicles, except city buses, will not be allowed on GT Road going towards Shahdara and Wazirabad Road. Vehicles coming from GT Karnal Road and Outer Ring Road and headed towards East Delhi, North East Delhi or Shahdara will be diverted to NH-09. They will not be allowed to move on Wazirabad Road, GT Road or Vikas Marg.

Heavy vehicles coming from Loni Road (Shahdara side) will also be diverted on Wazirabad Road to exit from Outer Ring Road. Similarly, those from internal areas such as Sonia Vihar, PTS Wazirabad Pusta and Pusta Road will be routed through Wazirabad Road and diverted to Outer Ring Road and then NH-24.

Delhi Traffic Police has said it has made arrangements to keep the kanwar routes separate from general traffic wherever possible. Police personnel have been deployed at major junctions to manage the crowd and traffic flow.

Commuters have been advised to avoid the affected roads, especially during peak hours, and follow instructions given by traffic personnel on duty. The traffic violations during the yatra will be recorded on video and through photos, and legal action will be taken against violators.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)