light showers on Monday brought the traffic in the city to a grinding halt as major traffic jams were reported across the national Capital throughout the day. A procession by auto rickshaw and taxi drivers added to the woes of commuters. It held up traffic in central Delhi which led to spiraling effect in nearby areas.
According to the Delhi Traffic Police, heavy traffic was reported in the afternoon in the carriageway from Delhi Secretariat to Kisan Ghat (both carriageways) due to procession by Auto Rickshaw Chalak Sangh.
Other minor issues like breakdown of heavy vehicles, minor water-logging and leakage of water pipeline at certain locations also added to the chaos as commuters were caught in traffic jams for hours.
In a series of tweets, Delhi Traffic Police alerted the commuters to avoid certain stretches. “Traffic is heavy in the carriageway from Adchini towards PTS Malviya Nagar due to leakage of water pipeline near PTS Malviya Nagar.. Obstruction in traffic in the carriageway from Tilak Nagar towards Nangli Jalib due to breakdown of a DTC Bus near Metro Pillar No. 562. Kindly avoid the stretch… Obstruction in traffic in the carriageway from AIIMS towards Dhaula Kuan due to breakdown of a DTC Bus No. Dl1PC 8319 on Raj Nagar Flyover. Kindly avoid the stretch,” Traffic Police tweeted.
While Mehrauli-Badarpur road was a choc-o-bloc during the peak traffic hours in the morning due to potholes and over flow of sewer water near Vayusenabad Bhawan, heavy traffic was also reported in Aurobindo Marg, Ring Road, Mathura Road, IIT crossing and nearby areas.
Commuters complained of long tailbacks on Minto Road, Asaf Ali Road, Indraprastha Marg, Grand Trunk Road, Sikandra Road, Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg and nearby areas.
Shobha Mathur, a medical professional, complained about a “terrible traffic snarl” on Khichripur underpass in the afternoon. “It took me 45 minutes to pass through NH24 towards IP Extension. I called police helpline number multiple times but to no avail,” she said.
Shobha was not alone as many commuters complained of similar situation of having stuck in traffic for hours. There were reports of heavy traffic at Ashoka Road, Teen Murti Marg, Sardar Patel Marg, Guru Ravidas Marg and adjoining roads.
Commuters also complained of “nightmarish” situation at Ghazipur Road and Dwarka Flyover.