Delhi Hit By Massive Traffic Jams On Diwali Eve, Commuters Wait On Roads For Hours

New Delhi: Serpentine rows of vehicles clogged the roads in several parts of the national capital as shoppers flocked to markets on Diwali eve. Many said they were stuck in traffic for hours, especially those crossing Akshardham, Mahipalpur or Dwarka.

Shikha Singh, a resident of Noida, said, "I left my office in central Delhi around 7 pm and reached Akshardham on time since the Pragati Maidan tunnel was clear. However, the traffic from Akshardham towards UP was so heavy that we could not even move a couple of metres for a while. The situation was similar on the other carriageway." Vinay Mishra, who was going towards Dwarka, said that vehicles were crawling on the road.

Traffic congestion was also seen on the Lado Sarai-Mehrauli route, Delhi-Meerut Expressway, Dwarka's Ashirwad Chowk and the Sagarpur-Janakpuri route, several commuters shared on social media.

Delhi Police said adequate arrangements have been made for the traffic movement in view of Diwali.

Police personnel have been deployed in the crowded market places and anti-encroachment drives are being carried out for the safe and smooth flow of vehicles, a senior officer said.

Rahul Sharma, a commuter, said, "It took me four hours to reach East Delhi from Gurgaon. The traffic was huge at Mahipalpur, Dwarka, Barahpullah, Akshardham and Mayur Vihar. The vehicles were not moving for long, especially at Akshardham and Barahpullah." Mohit Singh, who was also travelling via the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, said he was stuck for around an hour near Mayur Vihar and Akshardham area.

Ashok Singh Verma, a central Delhi resident, said, “Areas such as Rao Tula Ram Marg, Mahipalpur, Dwarka, Vasant Vihar, and Hauz Khas saw heavy congestion.”