As part of preparations for the annual Kanwar Yatra, the Uttar Pradesh police has announced that the Delhi-Meerut Expressway will remain closed during the Kanwar Yatra and traffic will be diverted to other routes. According to reports, the Delhi-Meerut Expressway will be closed for heavy vehicles from July 22 (Monday) due to the Kanwar Yatra. The traffic police will enforce the ban on all vehicles, including private cars, from July 29. This diversion will be in place till 8:00 pm on August 5.
In the annual Kanwar Yatra, pilgrims from Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad travel via DME to Haridwar and return with Ganga jal for the Dudheshwar Nath temple in Ghaziabad. “No truck, bus or any other heavy vehicle will be allowed on DME from July 22,” ADCP (traffic) Piyush Singh announced. Vehicles coming from Delhi (Tulsi Niketan, Seemapuri and Anand Vihar border) towards Ghaziabad will be diverted via Chaudhary Charan Singh Marg to UP Gate and then via NH-9. Vehicles headed towards places like Haridwar, Amroha, Moradabad and Lucknow will pass through UP Gate, NH-9, Dasna crossing and then take the Eastern Peripheral Expressway. Vehicles coming from Delhi and Hapur towards Ghaziabad city will also be banned from passing through Atmaram Steel Tiraha and will have to use NH-9.
Singh said, “The movement of vehicles from Loni border will be completely restricted. Vehicles going towards Meerut Tiraha from Santosh Medical Cut (NH-9) will also be stopped. Entry of heavy vehicles to Indirapuram will also be diverted from Gaur Green, Khoda, Kalapathar, Sector 62, Chhijarsi and Kanawani via NH-9.”
New routes will be determined for those coming from Hapur via Bhojpur towards Modinagar. Entry of trucks will be banned on Ganganahar Patri Kanwar Marg, Pipeline Marg, NH-34 (formerly NH-58) and DME. Additionally, vehicles going towards Mohannagar from Vasundhara flyover will be stopped. No camping on NH-9 or DME. No pilgrim group will be allowed to camp on NH-9 or DME. Singh said, “Such camps will be allowed only on traditional routes, not on main roads. Such permission is given by the police.”
A senior police officer said that 214 applications have been received for setting up Kanwar camps, out of which 116 have been approved so far.
