Incessant downpour unleashes huge traffic chaos in NCR

As these major roads connect both the cities to the national Capital from western UP, huge pile-ups of vehicles were seen during peak hours and its cascading effects were observed too in rest of the parts. Unprecedented jams in the key NCR towns also revealed ill-preparedness of local authorities as the commuters, who were stranded in traffic jams for long, claimed poor traffic management as well as battered roads that compounded the problem. 

Traffic personnel, who were on their toes through out the day to minimise traffic snarls and chaos, looked helpless as they failed to divert vehicles on alternate routes owing to no prior arrangement.   

In Noida, commuters who were stuck in huge traffic snarls at the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, claimed more than eight-kilometre long jams on both the sides. The 3.5-kilometre long stretch between Noida gate (Sector 14-A) and Mahamaya flyover were chocked due to bottlenecks created in the vicinity of the flyover. 

As the road connects Kalindi Kunj and DND flyway, an enormous volume of vehicles deepened the crisis. Traffic from City Centre towards Mahamaya flyover and DND Expressway moved at a snail’s pace due to waterlogging at Shashi Chowk near Golf Course Metro station and other places too. 

Waterlogging also occurred near Labour Chowk, which connects traffic coming from Sector 12/22 with NIB near NH 24 and Mamura Chowk, and at Sector 31/25 intersection, leading to traffic jams in these places.

“There are some bottleneck points that get waterlogged when it rains, affecting traffic movement. As there was incessant rain, pedestrians, two and three-wheelers, and cyclists took shelter under the flyovers resulting in chaos. Similar reasons caused traffic jams or slowed down movement on other roads such as Model Town near NH 24 to Sector 71, NIB to Labour Chowk and DSC road, the only alternate of expressway,” said a traffic official from Noida.

Similar scenes were witnessed on NH 24 as long pile-up of vehicles was witnessed throughout the day. The office-goers claimed 10-kilometre long jam from Ghazipur border to Noida’s Sector 62 red-light. 

Among other parts, Karhera exit, Mohan Nagar intersection, ITS College exit and at Vasundhara underpass below the railway section were also seen jam packed during those hours.  “The CISF-Vasundhara Road too was completely choked when rain started early morning. The traffic personnel were deployed to minimise the jam but was in vain. Similarly. Others routes were also slow movent of vehicles despite deploying adequate personnel,” said a traffic official from Ghaziabad.