Traffic was thrown into disarray in parts of east Delhi and south-east Delhi on Tuesday – and is expected to remain severely affected this week – due to emergency repair works on the damaged Delhi Jal Board (DJB) pipeline near Ashram Chowk.
While the Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory on Monday night, arrangements on the ground on Tuesday reflect poor coordination and continued lack of police presence to manage traffic.
The hour-long snarl took over much of the city, with commuters complaining helplessly on social media – only to be met with lukewarm responses by traffic police, and with little help to ease the multiple jams people faced.
According to Delhi Traffic Police advisory, due to repair work, the Ring Road between Maharani Bagh and Ashram will remain closed for the next three to four days.
According to the advisory, traffic will remain affected on the stretch of Ring Road from Sarai Kale Khan towards Ashram Chowk; The ring road runs from DND Flyway towards Ashram Chowk; and merging of traffic from CV Raman Marg to Ring Road – essentially affecting all commuters traveling towards Ashram Chowk, Faridabad, Noida and adjoining areas.
Tuesday morning and afternoon reiterated the Delhi Traffic Police’s unwillingness to handle peak and non-peak hour traffic due to civic repairs, and the general unwillingness of different departments to coordinate and assess the impact of something as simple and important as pipeline repair.
Read also:Traffic alert in Delhi: Ashram Chowk Ring Road closed for 4 days, massive traffic jams near DND
The DJB pipeline, which has a diameter of 1,200 mm, was damaged and is being repaired, police said in the advisory.
A commuter told HT that the two-km distance – from Eastern Avenue turning into Maharani Bagh to Mata Mandir in New Friends Colony – took more than two hours. A 34-year-old passenger said: “An ambulance stopped, and people got out of their cars and decided to walk. There was no police presence, and even the few police officers who were there had no idea what to do.”
“We have used Okhla Mandi and Barapulla road as diversions. However, as traffic is affected during peak hours, we have deployed more traffic personnel around Ashram and DND to assist commuters. Mathura Road is also open. Today, traffic will be released from 3 pm to 4 pm,” a senior police officer said.
However, there was little clarity on why additional deployment had not already been undertaken.
