Left protest chokes city, commuters inconvenienced

Thousands of people had a harrowing experience with massive traffic congestion both in the city and in Howrah due to the march to Nabanna organised by the Left Front on Monday.

Despite knowing that there would be trouble as Left Front had called a rally on Monday, people from different walks of life had no option but to go out in order to reach their respective workplaces on the first day of the week.

The situation started worsening post 12.30 pm, when Left Front supporters started gathering at different points in the central part of the city and near Nabanna in Howrah.

The police had made an elaborate plan to divert vehicles through different routes as most of the major thoroughfares had to remain closed to maintain law and order. According to their plans, the police had closed important thoroughfares and policemen were posted behind security barricades to stop Left Front supporters from marching towards the state secretariat.

The movement of vehicles had to be restricted on Vidyasagar Setu, Kidderpore Road and a part of Circular Garden Reach Road in the port area as Left Front supporters gathered at Hastings to march towards Nabanna. Police stopped them at that point itself.

Again in the central part of the city, vehicles were found standing bumper to bumper on major thoroughfares, including Jawaharlal Nehru Road and SN Banerjee Road. As a result, the movement of vehicles from Sealdah Railway Station to the central business district had almost come to a standstill for around one and a half hour.

It was not possible for the traffic police to allow the resumption of vehicular movement on roads including RR Avenue, Red Road, Dufferin Road and Mayo Road as the trouble on those thoroughfares continued for a long time. The situation worsened further when Left Front leaders started staging a demonstration on Mayo Road.

Similarly, the traffic situation deteriorated in the central part of Howrah as the police had to close some roads to stop Left Front supporters from reaching the state secretariat.

With the central business district coming to a standstill for hours on the first day of the week, thousands of people failed to reach their destinations on time. The police were desperate to tackle the situation and had succeeded in allowing the movement of all South-bound vehicles

through Jawaharlal Nehru Road with Red Road remaining closed for hours.