Delhi Braces for Traffic Chaos as Farmers’ March Sparks Security Measures

Delhi is on high alert as farmers from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh plan to march towards the capital, prompting heightened security measures at Singhu, Ghazipur, and Tikri borders. Delhi Police have enforced prohibitory orders and warned of potential traffic diversions at these locations. Metal barricades, shipping containers, wires, and trenches have been deployed on the city’s outskirts.

Over 50 police and paramilitary companies, armed with tear gas launchers and sophisticated weapons, are stationed at key border points. Drones surveil the fringes, ensuring security amid an impasse in talks between farmers and Union ministers. Protests are expected to cause traffic disruptions across the city, with outer, eastern, central, northern, and southern areas likely affected.

Farmers, demanding minimum support prices, loan waivers, and justice for victims of past incidents, set off for Delhi on trucks and tractors despite restrictions. The Haryana government imposed restrictions, fortifying borders with concrete blocks and barbed wire. Security forces aim to prevent a repeat of the 2020-21 agitations, where farmers occupied key borders and stormed the Red Fort.

Delhi Police have extended restrictions on public gatherings for a month, anticipating potential unrest. The standoff persists as both sides remain firm in their positions, leaving Delhi residents and commuters bracing for potential disruptions.