Traffic Affected As Delhi's Border Areas Heavily Barricaded Due To Farmers' Protest

Traffic was hit in the border areas of Delhi on Wednesday as police erected several layers of barricades and stopped the movement of vehicles at the Singhu and Tikri borders in view of a proposed farmers' march to the capital.

While the Singhu and Tikri borders between Delhi and Haryana have been entirely closed for traffic, vehicular movement is allowed at the Ghazipur border in a regulated manner.

A section of a road in a village near the Singhu border was dug up to prevent the farmers from reaching Delhi.

The Apsara and Ghazipur borders between Delhi and Uttar Pradesh are open for traffic, but there is heavy security deployment at both places.

Ankit Singh, who was travelling from Shahdara to Noida Sector-62, said the traffic movement was slightly affected at the Ghazipur border.

"I was planning to take an alternative route to reach office. Vehicular movement was slightly affected at the border. Heavy security was deployed there," Singh said.

Police said the Singhu border on National Highway-44 is inaccessible for traffic.

Inter-state buses and heavy goods vehicles for Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and other places are to take a diversion on Outer Ring Road at Majnu Ka Tilla to proceed towards Signature Bridge to Khajuri Chowk via the Loni border towards Eastern Peripheral Road, police said.

Trucks originating from the Azadpur Mandi and bound for Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar are to take a diversion from the Azadpur Mandi, take the service road towards Outer Ring Road, Haiderpur water plant and take a U-turn for Rohini Jail Road Sector-18 to Badli metro station to Sanjay Gandhi Transport Nagar, they added.

Only Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) buses and four-wheelers are allowed from Mukarba Chowk towards NH-44 to take exit number-2 on NH-44 at the DSIIDC cut to go towards Narela and the Safiabad border.

Commuters are advised to follow the above routes to avoid inconvenience, police said.

Police have put up barricades and placed concrete slabs on various roads to prevent the protesting farmers from entering Delhi.

People had to cross the Singhu border between Delhi and Haryana on foot on Tuesday as police blocked the movement of vehicles in view of the farmers' march.

Hem Singh, who lives in Haryana's Karnal, said he was going to northeast Delhi to attend a wedding but his bus had to halt nearly a kilometre from the border.

"My nephew is getting married in northeast Delhi's Gokulpuri and we are stuck here due to traffic. The bus driver stopped the vehicle a kilometre before the border. We are walking towards Delhi and are not sure whether we will get any vehicle.

"We were aware of the farmers' march, but had no idea that we would get stuck here. I asked my wife and daughter to go back to Panipat, but my daughter is very excited to attend her cousin's wedding," he said.

Farmers demanding a law on a minimum support price for crops are marching towards Delhi after a meeting between them and a team of Union ministers over their demands remained inconclusive.

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have said the farmers will head to Delhi to press the BJP-led Centre to accept their demands.