The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police has announced the enforcement of restrictions under CrPC Section 144, including a prohibition on unauthorized public gatherings, district-wide in anticipation of the Bharat Bandh called by farmers’ unions on Friday. Delhi is also likely to experience traffic disruptions due to the nationwide protest by farmers.
A coalition of 37 farmers’ groups under the banner of Samyukt Kisan Morcha has declared a Gramin Bharat Bandh or nationwide strike on Friday, February 16, citing various unaddressed grievances of farmers.
The Bharat Bandh is being organized in solidarity with the ‘Delhi Chalo’ movement, which involves farmers from Punjab marching to the national capital to demand that the government fulfill their demands, including the implementation of a law guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for crops.
Hundreds of farmers from Punjab have been marching towards Delhi, encountering police resistance in the form of tear gas and barricades. Mobile internet services have been suspended in seven districts of Haryana.
Farmer unions have called upon all like-minded farmer organizations to join the Bharat Bandh, scheduled from 6 am to 4 pm.
The strike is expected to have a significant impact on rural areas in Punjab, Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh, and parts of Rajasthan, regions where farm unions hold considerable influence. Highway traffic is also likely to be severely disrupted.
Traffic advisory for Delhi during Bharat Bandh:
Traffic on key routes in Delhi is expected to be affected due to multiple layers of barricades placed by police at the Singhu, Tikri, and Ghazipur borders in anticipation of farmers’ march towards the capital.
In recent days, commuters have faced difficulties due to heavy traffic congestion.
A similar situation is anticipated across the Delhi-NCR region due to the Bharat Bandh called by farmers.
Routes to avoid: Major traffic congestion is expected around the borders of Delhi. The Singhu Border (Delhi-Haryana Border), Ghazipur Border (Delhi-Ghaziabad Border), and the Tikri Border (Delhi-Haryana Border) are likely to be highly congested and should be avoided.
Traffic advisory for Noida during Bharat Bandh:
In Noida, police have advised commuters traveling to and from Delhi to expect traffic diversions. They have recommended the use of the Metro rail service “as far as possible” to minimize inconvenience.
The Gautam Buddh Nagar Police reiterated the enforcement of restrictions under CrPC Section 144 in a traffic advisory, stating that intensive checks will be conducted with barriers installed on all Noida-Delhi borders, leading to increased pressure on vehicular movement and diversion of traffic as necessary.
The police advised, “People traveling to Delhi should use the Metro as much as possible to avoid traffic inconveniences. The arrival of all types of goods vehicles will be restricted on the route from Yamuna Expressway to Delhi via Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and from Sirsa to Surajpur via Pari Chowk. To minimize traffic inconvenience, drivers can use alternative routes to reach their destination.”
Additionally, the Noida Traffic Police suggested alternate routes for vehicles traveling from the 130-meter road towards Pari Chowk via Depot Roundabout, and vehicles traveling via Noida-Greater Noida Expressway via Parichowk are diverted via Knowledge Park/Expomart Roundabout through Hindon Cut/Galgotia Cut.
