Gurgaon: The Sirhaul border on Delhi-Jaipur Expressway witnessed a chaotic scene on Thursday evening as heavy traffic resulted in snarls and vehicles crawling at a snail’s pace. The tailback extended all the way to IFFCO Chowk, causing immense inconvenience to commuters.
In response to the worsening traffic situation, the traffic police deployed additional manpower to facilitate the movement of vehicles. However, despite their efforts, the expressway remained congested until late evening, disrupting the daily commute of countless individuals.
Authorities attributed the massive traffic jam to the surge of weddings taking place in Delhi. According to a police officer, the areas of Rajokri, Dhaula Kuan, and their surroundings are filled with numerous banquet halls and farmhouses, which had spilled onto the service lane of the expressway. As a result, the main carriageway on NH-8 also became congested, exacerbating the traffic woes.
With the peak wedding season in full swing, the traffic volume was significantly higher than usual, and we anticipate the same for the next few days, stated a police officer from the traffic wing of Gurgaon police.
Estimates suggest that around 15,000 weddings were held in Delhi on Thursday alone, with a majority of them concentrated in areas adjacent to NH-8, Dwarka, Dhaula Kuan, Chattarpur, and their vicinity. Popular wedding destinations such as Chattarpur and Rajokri have multiple venues situated next to each other, contributing to the traffic congestion. Additionally, the Mehrauli-Gurgaon road is surrounded by multiple wedding venues.
Commuters bore the brunt of the situation, with their usual 40-minute journey taking over 90 minutes to complete. Sumit Bharadwaj, a Delhi resident who works in Udyog Vihar, expressed his frustration, Vehicles were moving at an extremely slow pace, and it took around 30 minutes to cross the Sirhaul border.
The consistent traffic jams and congestion at the Sirhaul border continue to pose significant challenges for the Gurgaon police. Consequently, the police face the ire of citizens due to the sluggish movement of traffic at the border. Despite numerous measures and interventions, the situation at Sirhaul border remains largely unchanged.
Citizens are increasingly concerned about the impact of traffic congestion on pollution and fuel wastage. We talk about pollution, but no effort is made to reduce traffic jams, which contribute to vehicular pollution and wastage of fuel, lamented Pradeep Sharma, a resident of New Delhi.
As the Gurgaon police strive to find a viable solution to the perennial problem at Sirhaul border, the frustration among commuters continues to grow. The need for immediate action is evident to alleviate the traffic woes plaguing this vital expressway, ensuring smoother and more efficient travel for all.
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