Travellers heading from Amritsar, Punjab and other northern states towards Delhi are facing major traffic disruptions on Tuesday due to the proposed Farmers' Mahapanchayat and the National Highways Authority of India has issued a traffic advisory for the same, informing commuters that movement on several national highways leading to Delhi has been significantly affected.
According to NHAI, traffic crossing at the Ghaggar Toll Plaza near the Shambhu Border has remained suspended since 5:00 am. The Shambhu Border is one of the key routes connecting Punjab with Haryana and Delhi, and the disruption is expected to affect a large number of commuters travelling from Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and nearby areas towards the national capital.
Traffic movement has also been stopped at the Gharaunda Toll Plaza on the Panipat-Delhi corridor, in addition, traffic crossing at toll plazas on various stretches of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway has also been suspended due to the protest.
NHAI said it is working closely with the Traffic Police and local administration to manage the situation. Adequate police personnel have been deployed at all important locations to regulate traffic and assist commuters.
The authority has advised people to avoid non-essential travel towards the Delhi border until normal traffic movement is restored and those who must travel have been asked to plan their journeys in advance and use alternate routes or diversions wherever possible. Commuters have also been requested to follow the directions of traffic police and officials deployed on the ground to ensure safe and smooth movement.
Apart from the highway disruptions, the Delhi Traffic Police has also issued an advisory warning of possible traffic restrictions and diversions across parts of central and east Delhi and the restrictions may begin from 8:30 am depending on the movement of protesters and the overall law and order situation.
According to the advisory, traffic may be diverted from Delhi Gate, Rajghat Crossing, Guru Nanak Chowk, Shantivan Chowk, Rajghat DTC Depot and the IP Flyover, while heavy traffic congestion is also expected on Satyagrah Marg, Velodrome Road, Rajghat DTC Depot Road, Rajghat DTC Bypass Road and nearby connecting roads.
People travelling to the airport, railway stations or other important destinations have been advised to leave early and keep extra travel time to avoid delays.
The Delhi Traffic Police has also asked motorists to use navigation apps for real-time traffic updates, avoid roadside parking and park only at designated places and drivers have been requested to cooperate with traffic personnel and follow all instructions issued on the spot.
The protest is being organised at Kisan Ghat under the banner of the Desh Bachao Morcha. The farmers' organisations are protesting against the proposed India-US trade agreementa ad according to Kisan Mazdoor Morcha leader Sarwan Singh Pandher, farmers from Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and several other states are expected to participate in the gathering.
Farmer organisations have expressed concern that the proposed trade agreement could allow cheaper agricultural imports into India, which they believe may negatively affect farmers, agricultural labourers, livestock rearers and small traders and they have also claimed that the proposed agreement could impact sectors beyond agriculture, including dairy, industry, digital trade, e-commerce, government procurement, intellectual property rights and services.
