Rain, Dhanteras Rush Cause Traffic Jam In Delhi

Massive traffic was witnessed at several places in the national capital on Friday as the city received intermittent rain showers and people thronged the markets on Dhanteras, causing inconvenience to commuters.

The Delhi police has also issued an advisory suggesting that high volume of traffic is expected on the roads during Dhanteras and Diwali and advised commuters to take public transport, officials said on Friday. In the past 24 hours ending 8.30 am on Friday, Delhi recorded 6 mm of rainfall. It noted 2.2 mm rain between 8.30 am and 11.30 am, according to data shared by the Safdarjung observatory, Delhi's primary weather station.

Ishita Singh, who works in central Delhi, said the traffic was heavy at Dhaula Kuan and Mahipalpur. "I left my office around 6 pm. I was heading towards my home in Gurgaon. The traffic was heavy at Dhaula Kuan and Mahipalpur. It took me around one-and-half-hour to reach Mahipalpur and still the map was showing around one more hour to reach my place," Singh said. Another commuter Pradeep Kashyap, a resident of Dwarka, said the issue of traffic congestion at the Dwarka flyover is not new.

"Everyday we face a similar situation at the flyover. Today, it was worse due to the rain and festival rush," Kashyap stated. Several commuters took to X to complain about the traffic congestion in the city. A person posted on X that there was a massive traffic jam from Gurgaon border till Mahipalpur and an ambulance was stuck there. X users also said there was traffic congestion on teh stretch from Mangolpuri underpass to Udyog Nagar Metro Station, near Rani Bagh main market, Kalyanpuri Bridge, Dwarka flyover, on Ashram Flyover, Vasant Kunj, and at Punjabi Bagh-Shivaji Enclave crossing.

Nupur Kaushik, who was travelling from south Delhi to New Delhi Railway Station, said, "Since the festival season is underway, the traffic was more than usual at the Connaught Place and it took me over one hour to reach New Delhi Railway Station." The traffic was also heavy around India Gate and in the Pragati Maidan tunnel. "Traffic is affected on Vikas Marg in the carriageway from ITO towards Laxmi Nagar due to uprooted of a tree. Kindly avoid the stretch," the traffic police wrote on X.

The tree was later removed from the spot. According to the advisory, the festival of Dhanteras and Diwali will be celebrated on Friday and Sunday respectively. "Pre-Diwali high volume of traffic is expected on the city roads especially around shopping malls and around busy high footfall market areas including at Chandni Chowk, Khari Baoli, Connaught Place, Karol Bagh, Sarojini Nagar, Sadar Bazar, Central Market Lajpat Nagar, Nehru Place, Greater Kailash, Tilak Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Kamla Nagar and Rajouri Garden.

"To avoid inconvenience, save time, fuel and reduce pollution, general public is advised to utilise the services of public transport like bus, metro and car pool etc. Connecting with social-media services of Delhi Traffic Police and traffic help line will further help in planning a hassle-free travel accordingly," the advisory stated. Motorists are advised to safely park their vehicles in the authorized parking lots to avoid congestion on roads, it added.