After three days of respite, Prayagraj was once again gripped by severe traffic congestion on Friday, as long snarls stretched from Balsan and A.N. Jha Marg to the New Yamuna Bridge and Naini Central Jail. By noon, the traffic on Mirzapur Road extended for nearly five kilometers, with vehicles crawling at a snail's pace. The situation was worse on the New Yamuna Bridge, where crossing the 1.5 km stretch took more than two hours.
Despite expectations that the crowd would ease after Maghi Purnima, the influx of visitors has continued to rise, pushing the city's roads into a state of paralysis. The Civil Lines route leading to the fairground witnessed multiple choke points, while major congestion was also reported in Jhunsi, Naini, and Phaphamau. Parking spaces were running out, leaving vehicles stranded for hours and devotees exhausted.
"I reached Naini station at 6 AM, but even after six hours, I have not been able to reach Sangam. The time taken from Rewa to Prayagraj was less than the time it is taking to get from Naini to the fairground," said Vikram Prasad, a pilgrim from Madhya Pradesh.
The problem began early in the day, with vehicles piling up on Mirzapur Road in Naini from 10 AM. Both lanes remained gridlocked, forcing commuters to inch forward at a frustratingly slow pace.
The main entry routes into the fair from the city, particularly near the Harshvardhan intersection and Alopibagh Chungi Bridge, saw a massive build-up of vehicles. The congestion has significantly delayed travel to Sangam, with some pilgrims taking several hours to cover short distances.
Despite a heavy deployment of traffic police, the overwhelming number of vehicles left them struggling to manage the flow. Officers on duty could be seen directing traffic, but their efforts were often rendered ineffective due to the sheer volume of vehicles.
Devotees from Bihar, West Bengal, and Maharashtra have been particularly affected, spending hours trapped in the gridlock. "We had planned to offer prayers early, but we have been stuck in this jam for hours now. There is no proper arrangement to manage such a huge crowd," said Ramesh Gupta, a devotee from Patna.
Traffic jam in nearby districts
The return flow of pilgrims from Maha Kumbh has led to massive congestion in several districts of Awadh, including Ayodhya, Amethi, Sultanpur, Ambedkar Nagar, and Barabanki.
