The capital saw another day of massive end-to-end traffic jams in key areas as Delhiites thronged the markets on Saturday, October 18, to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras.
Once again, social media was flooded with netizens complaining of endless traffic and congestion throughout the day.
Many shared images of vehicles crawling or standing still near Connaught Place, Rajpath, ITO and key roads leading to Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh and Khan Market.
Crowds spilled onto nearby roads in markets across Delhi, including Chandni Chowk, Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar and Karol Bagh. Traffic jams stretched for kilometers and travel times doubled as vehicles passed through narrow lanes.
Heavy traffic on Andrews Ganj Ring Road
The Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory for Chandni Chowk and nearby markets from October 18 to 21 in view of the heavy festive rush expected during this period.
Read also | Delhi Traffic Alert for Diwali: Restrictions at Chandni Chowk from October 18 to 21
Transport consultancy
According to the advisory, a large number of visitors are expected to visit the area, resulting in heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Special measures have been taken to ensure smooth traffic, pedestrian safety and public convenience.
Traffic restrictions remain in place from 18 to 21 October from 14:00 to 22:00.
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Delhi Traffic Police to respond immediately to complaints on social media
The Delhi Traffic Police has directed its officers to actively monitor social media platforms and respond quickly to public complaints regarding traffic jams, signal failures and vehicle breakdowns, officials said on Saturday.
“It has been observed that a significant number of complaints regarding traffic jams, malfunctioning of traffic signals and vehicle breakdowns are being reported on social media platform X,” Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic Management, Zone II) Ajay Chaudhry said in the order.
The initiative, he said, aims to boost public visibility and confidence in the Delhi Traffic Police through faster redressal of complaints on social media.
The order stated that the affected traffic inspectors must respond to flagged complaints with a GPS-tagged photo showing compliance.
Police officers have been asked to monitor the response and ensure timely action in their respective jurisdictions, he added.
Read also | AQI remains in ‘poor’ category for fifth day as Delhi gears up for Diwali
Delhi’s air quality remains ‘poor’ for the 5th consecutive day
Air quality in Delhi continued to deteriorate on Saturday and remained in the ‘poor’ category for the fifth consecutive day, with nine monitoring stations falling into the red zone of the ‘very poor’ category as pollution levels rose ahead of Diwali.
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the capital recorded an air quality index (AQI) of 268 at 4 pm, placing it in the ‘poor’ category.
Within the NCR region, Ghaziabad recorded a “very poor” AQI of 324, while Noida and Gurugram remained in the “poor” category with an AQI of 298 and 258 respectively.
Of the 38 monitoring stations in the capital, nine reported air quality in the “very poor” category, with some locations approaching the “severe” zone.
Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 389, followed by Wazirpur (351), Bawana (309), Jahangirpuri (310), Okhla (303), Vivek Vihar (306), Dwarka (310) and Siri Fort (307), according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
