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Prayagraj: Thousands of devotees heading to the Maha Kumbh festival have been left stranded on highways due to severe traffic congestion, with reports indicating that the traffic jams span up to 300 kilometers on routes leading to Prayagraj. Despite expectations that the crowds might thin out following Basant Panchmi’s Amrit Snan, it appears that the flow of pilgrims has only increased, resulting in extended delays and chaos.
The traffic jams were primarily caused by the rush of vehicles over the weekend. Inspector General of Police (Rewa zone) Saket Prakash Pandey assured that the situation would likely improve in the coming days, as vehicles are now being allowed entry into Prayagraj in coordination with local administration. However, delays remain widespread, with some vehicles reportedly stuck for up to 48 hours.
One individual stuck in the jam described the dire situation, stating that it took nearly 10 to 12 hours just to cover 50 kilometers. Jammed stretches have been reported on routes leading from major cities such as Varanasi, Lucknow, and Kanpur, with some areas seeing traffic congestion of up to 25 kilometers. Inside the city itself, a seven-kilometer-long traffic jam was witnessed.
In response to the overwhelming crowd, the Prayagraj Sangam railway station was temporarily shut down to prevent further chaos. Railway officer Kuldeep Tiwari explained that the decision was made due to the difficulties passengers were facing in exiting the station amidst the large crowds. A single-direction traffic system has been implemented at the Prayagraj Junction station to better manage the situation.
The traffic congestion has spilled over to neighboring districts in Madhya Pradesh, where local police have been forced to halt vehicles from entering Prayagraj due to the enormous jam. According to reports, the traffic jam stretches up to 200 to 300 kilometers in some areas. The high volume of vehicles, with passengers attempting to reach as close as possible to the Maha Kumbh Mela site, has led to an extended standstill. Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Kuldeep Singh explained that the sheer number of vehicles trying to reach the holy site is the main cause of the gridlock.
Authorities reported that over 46 lakh devotees have participated in the holy dip at the Sangam on this day alone, while the total number of pilgrims who have taken part in the Maha Kumbh since its start has surpassed 44 crore.
The ongoing traffic nightmare has also caught the attention of politicians, with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav criticizing the Uttar Pradesh government over the situation. Yadav claimed that the traffic congestion had not only caused severe inconvenience to devotees but had also led to shortages of essential commodities in Prayagraj.
With the ongoing flow of devotees and the logistical challenges, the authorities are working on measures to ease the congestion and ensure the smooth conduct of the Maha Kumbh celebrations in the coming days.
Disclaimer: This is an AI-generated live blog and has not been edited by Localtak staff.
