Hyderabad’s Tank Bund was blocked for hours during the CM’s candlelight march, a solidarity protest
HYDERABAD
Following widespread traffic diversions for a candlelight rally led by Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and a solidarity protest near the Telangana Thalli flyover, large parts of central Hyderabad witnessed severe traffic jams on Saturday evening, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for hours.
Around 6.30 pm, the Lower Tank Bund area turned into a sea of ​​stationary vehicles as traffic from various directions came to a standstill. Cars, buses, two-wheelers and auto-rickshaws remained stuck for more than three hours before traffic gradually improved later in the night. Congestion, however, persisted in several sections even at peak times.
CM for support
The main reason for the traffic snarls was the Chief Minister’s candlelight procession at the People’s Plaza, which necessitated the diversion of traffic through the Necklace Road and Tank Bund stretch. The situation was further compounded by a solidarity rally held at the old Ambedkar statue under the Telangana Thalli flyover, where several participants parked their vehicles along the road, adding to the traffic jam.
“I had to attend the protest, but seeing the traffic jam, I parked my car near the secretariat and walked all the way here. Even walking was difficult as there was hardly any space due to heavy traffic,” said Amit, one of the participants of the solidarity rally.
As the congestion intensified, the Hyderabad Traffic Police issued a traffic alert on ‘X’ at 19:36 saying, “Due to the planned VIP programme, there is heavy traffic congestion around Necklace Road and Tank Bund. Commuters are requested to avoid these routes and use alternative routes to reach their destinations. We apologize for the inconvenience and seek your cooperation.”
Police also posted a traffic advisory for the VIP program earlier in the day. Several commuters headed to X to criticize the Hyderabad traffic police, claiming that advance information about the diversions would have enabled commuters to avoid the affected routes and plan alternative travel arrangements.
Published – 25 Jul 2026 21:36 IST