As protesting farmers continued to be adamant on their demand for scrapping of the Centre’s agriculture reform laws and stayed put at the national Capital’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, the police on Thursday closed routes on two national highways connecting Ghaziabad to Delhi as the farmers sat on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway.
The protesting farmers had on Wednesday threatened to block other roads of Delhi if their demands were not met.
“The local police have closed the routes on NH-9 and NH-24 from Ghaziabad to Delhi. On NH-1, both sides of the route have been closed near Shani Mandir,” the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted. The crowd of farmers continued to swell at Ghazipur, prompting the police to close the Delhi-UP border on NH-24.
“The Ghazipur border on NH-24 is closed for traffic from Ghaziabad towards Delhi due to farmers’ protests. People are advised to avoid NH-24 for coming to Delhi and use Apsara/Bhopra/DND instead,” the traffic police said.
It said NH-44 is closed on both sides and asked people to take alternate routes via NH-8, Bhopra, Apsara border, and Peripheral expressway.
At the Chilla border, one carriageway — from Delhi to Noida — has been opened for traffic. However, the other carriageway — from Noida to Delhi — is still closed.
People commuting from Noida to Delhi are advised to avoid Noida link road, the traffic police said. The Delhi-Haryana border at Jharoda and Jhatikra remained closed for traffic movement. The Badusarai border is open only for two-wheeler traffic.
However, people can travel to Haryana through Dhansa, Daurala, Kapashera, Rajokri, NH-8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera border points, the traffic police have said.
The police also kept the Haryana-Delhi border at Singhu and Tikri closed for traffic for the eighth day on the trot.
“Singhu border is still closed from both sides. Lampur, Auchandi & other small borders also closed. Please take alternate routes. Traffic has been diverted from Mukarba Chowk & GTK Road,” the traffic police tweeted.
“Traffic is very heavy. Please avoid Outer Ring Road from Signature Bridge to Rohini & vice versa, GTK road, NH 44 & Singhu, Auchandi & Lampur borders,” it said.
As traffic spilled over to alternate routes, it led to long jams there as well.
On Wednesday, the farmers had demanded that a special Parliament session be convened to repeal the three agriculture reform laws which were enacted in September.
The farmers’ unions also called for a nationwide protest on Saturday to oppose what they claimed was “corporatisation” of farming.
Meanwhile, most of the protesters at Burari left on Thursday to join others at Singhu and Tikri borders. “We are going at Tikri border as our main protest is going on borders not here,” said Rajendra, a farmer from Hisar in Haryana.
At Singhu border, at Jatha also joined the protest. The Jatha with eight horses and several men came from Punjab on Thursday to join the protestors. A group of Muslim men from Punjab also reached at Singhu border and served food to protesters.
“Most of the people from our group were already here in the protest but we came today from Punjab. We are serving the farmers sweet rice. We will stay here for as long as the farmers are here,” said Mohammad Furkaan (22), who has come from Punjab.