In the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj, the influx of pilgrims shows no signs of slowing, with millions arriving daily for the sacred bath at the Sangam. On Wednesday, the nectarous bath of Magh Purnima is scheduled, drawing people from all corners of the country to Prayagraj. While special and regular trains ferry these visitors to the city, private vehicles also bring countless devotees via roads.
The trains heading to the Sangam city are packed, and substantial traffic congestion has built up in Prayagraj and its bordering districts. On Monday, severe traffic jams were reported in the border districts, causing significant challenges for pilgrims trying to reach Prayagraj. However, reports on Tuesday indicate slight relief in these districts. Here's a detailed update on the current traffic conditions in districts neighboring Prayagraj.
Bhadohi
The route from Varanasi to Bhadohi en route to Prayagraj is free of congestion, with traffic flowing smoothly. For devotees utilizing National Highway 19 to enter and exit the Maha Kumbh, this is good news. Presently, there are no traffic jams, and vehicle movement remains unaffected. Additionally, the Bhadohi police administration is on high alert, ensuring 24-hour traffic police patrols on the highways due to the Magh Purnima bath.
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From last Thursday, National Highway 19 has faced a heavy influx of vehicles carrying devotees to the Maha Kumbh, with over 50,000 vehicles using this route daily. The load was so heavy over the past three days that severe jams cropped up at numerous points. At the Lala Nagar toll plaza, congestion between 3 PM and 9 PM on Sunday necessitated a temporary toll waiver, allowing vehicles to inch forward after hours of standstill. On Monday night, heavy traffic in Mirzapur prompted barricading of routes from National Highway 19 towards Mirzapur, which eased traffic conditions significantly after a few hours.
Source: aajtak
SP Abhimanyu Manglik reported smooth traffic flow along the Maha Kumbh route, with no congestion issues. From Monday midnight to 10 AM, both directions saw about 20,000 vehicles. To accommodate the influx of pilgrims for the Magh Purnima bath, the highway is under constant police watch to prevent any inconvenience.
Mirzapur
On Tuesday, traffic on the Prayagraj-Mirzapur highway was running smoothly, with no hindrances near the Manda border. Vehicle flow is normal, with the lowest traffic volumes observed early in the morning over the past three days. Vehicles are moving comfortably from Vindhyachal in Mirzapur, extending to roughly three kilometers past Natwa. Traffic officer at Natwa intersection noted slightly decreased traffic on Tuesday morning, anticipating heavier flow as the day progresses.
Kaushambi
Traffic on the Kaushambi highway heading to Prayagraj has resumed normalcy. Conditions have improved for pilgrims previously stuck in jams while heading to the Maha Kumbh, showing notable ease compared to the past three days. Vehicles en route from states like Gujarat, Haryana, and Rajasthan had earlier queued due to the National Highway 2 diversion at Kokhraj, but today their movement is much smoother.
Source: aajtak
Tuesday saw the jam situation return to normal on the National Highway, with vehicles steadily moving towards the Maha Kumbh. Police opened the diversion at Kokhraj bypass from Monday, ensuring smoother flow, according to DSP Sirathu Avadhesh Vishwakarma. In stark contrast to three days ago, today's pilgrims face a much more straightforward journey to Prayagraj, with police actively maintaining road order to promptly address any congestion.
Fatehpur
On Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur-Prayagraj National Highway 2, pilgrims headed for the Maha Kumbh bath in Prayagraj showed up in significant numbers. However, the district did not witness any jams, and the queue of vehicles seems to be decreasing, restoring normalcy. Given the unpredictable rise in crowds, district administration has set up points across three subdivisions to manage and park vehicles belonging to pilgrims. Additionally, provisions for refreshments will be sponsored by district authorities and NGOs, akin to arrangements for Mauni Amavasya and Basant Panchami Shahi Snan events.
Pratapgarh
Traffic is moving smoothly on the route from Prayagraj to Ayodhya via Pratapgarh. Special arrangements have been made by the district administration for passenger convenience. Route diversions at Bhupiamau along the National Highway 96 are ensuring smooth traffic flow, with heavy vehicles redirected through bypass roads towards Ayodhya, thus averting jams on the main route. District Magistrate Shiv Sahay Awasthi and Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar have issued strict instructions to keep these systems running smoothly, focused on preventing any inconvenience to pilgrims during the Maha Kumbh, ensuring their journey remains stress-free.
Source: aajtak
Chandauli
Lakhs of devotees are converging at Prayagraj for the holy bath of Magh Purnima at the Maha Kumbh, with a significant number traveling by train. The Indian Railways is running special Kumbh Mela Trains continuously for the convenience of these pilgrims. However, with the anticipated crowd during Magh Purnima, the railways are on high alert, including the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya rail division. Special arrangements have been made to handle the influx.
Spanning across the busy Delhi-Howrah rail route, followers from states like Bihar, Bengal, Jharkhand, and Odisha, as well as Northeast regions, utilize Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya junction and adjoining stations like Gaya, Sasaram, and Dehri on Son for their journey to Prayagraj, returning thereafter post their holy bath. Stringent measure deployment is evident across these stations.
DRM Rajesh Gupta of Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya rail division mentioned the installation of special provisions for pilgrims, emphasizing the continuous operation of special Kumbh Mela trains. By 6:00 PM on February 10, 24 Kumbh special trains had arrived from Prayagraj to DDU, while 21 special trains departed from DDU to Prayagraj.
(Inputs from Suresh Kumar Singh in Mirzapur, Mahesh Jaiswal in Bhadohi, Nitesh Srivastava in Fatehpur, Akhilesh Gautam in Kaushambi, and Sunil Yadav in Pratapgarh)
