Thousands of commuters bound for Haryana were stranded at bus depots and railway stations in the city as bus and rail services were badly affected due to ongoing Jat agitation in Delhi and neighbourin
Thousands of commuters bound for Haryana were stranded at bus depots and railway stations in the city as bus and rail services were badly affected due to ongoing Jat agitation in Delhi and neighbouring Haryana. Trains bound for Rohtak, Bhatinda, Rewari, Jaipur, Panipat and Ambala were worst affected even as commercial vehicles for commodity supplies could not enter or exit Delhi causing inconvenience to the residents.
People working in neighbouring Gurgaon and Faridabad had to face traffic jams due to barricading by the police even as Delhi-Jaipur highway witnessed heavy police presence and barricading affecting commuters trying to reach Gurgaon and going to Jaipur.
Protests by angry Jat community at various places also led to major traffic jams in Outer Delhi. At some places, the police even resorted to mild force to disperse the protesters.
All bus and rail services to the neighbouring state were badly disrupted, with thousands of commuters left stranded at bus depots and railway stations. Some of the areas in Outer Delhi that were affected are Nangloi-Najafgarh road, Nangloi-Sultanpuri road and Rohtak Road. Even the Peeragarhi crossing that connects Outer Delhi with Punjabi Bagh, Rohini, and Vikaspuri was blocked.
The Delhi police said it is posting extra force in vulnerable areas with huge Jat population, to ensure that the agitation does not spread to the national capital. Protests were held on Saturday at borders neighbouring Haryana at Alipur, Kikri, Chandi, Dhansa, Singhur, Apsara, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Ballabgarh and Lampur. Traffic diversions at some crucial intersections prevailed on Sunday. Over a lakh commuters travel between Haryana and Delhi every day.
Since the vehicular movement between Haryana and Delhi has been badly affected, there are chances that prices of vegetables, fruits and milk may shoot up by 10 to 20 per cent in the coming few days. The city receives milk and cash-rich crops like tomato, capsicum, cucumber, chillies and brinjal from Haryana.
Although the agitation is not going to create any shortage of essential communities, it is bound to increase their prices. Former Azadpur Subzi Mandi chairman Rajender Sharma said: “The supplies coming from UP, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will have to be diverted. That’s why we fear that prices of these commodities may go up by 10 to 20 per cent in the coming days.”
