President Droupadi Murmu has arrived at the grand Mahakumbh. Upon reaching the sacred site of Sangam, she took a purifying dip, followed by the traditional Ganga worship and aarti. President Murmu will spend approximately eight hours in Prayagraj today. Her arrival at Bamrauli Airport was around 09:30 AM, where she was warmly welcomed by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Thereafter, she journeyed to the sangam, feeding grains to birds at the confluence of the rivers.
Source: aajtak
Today marks the 29th day of the Mahakumbh, with more than 430 million devotees having taken a dip since January 13. Swarms of pilgrims continue to flood the event, leading to significant traffic jams in Prayagraj for over a week now. The sheer volume of visitors has led to congestion not only on main roads but also in city neighborhoods and rural lanes, posing challenges for the locals. A traffic snarl stretches up to 30 kilometers around the city.
The influx at Mahakumbh is so massive that railway platforms have no room to spare. Due to the crowd, the Sangam (Daraganj) station is temporarily closed. Adjacent districts, including Bhadohi, Jaunpur, Mirzapur, Kaushambi, Fatehpur, Satna, Rewa, Chitrakoot, and Jabalpur, are also experiencing significant congestion, with little room at stations.
Traffic on Routes from Airport
While air travelers reach Prayagraj safely, the journey from the airport to Sangam is considerably time-consuming. Private vehicle commuters face similar difficulties, with an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 vehicles arriving in Prayagraj hourly. The congestion results in vast stretches of cars, moving at a snail's pace.
What would typically be a 20-minute journey now takes two to three hours due to traffic. Many people are leaving their vehicles and drivers behind, opting to walk toward Sangam, visible on roads miles away from their parked cars. One driver visiting the Mahakumbh stated that a 12-hour journey expanded to 20 hours. A bus passenger recounted their 13-hour trip turning into a 36-hour ordeal.
Due to the jam in Prayagraj, authorities are halting vehicles bound for the city from neighboring districts. Data indicates that over 500 vehicles arrive via the Mirzapur route alone. Similarly, the Varanasi route sees more than 1,500 vehicles per hour, whereas over 1,800 vehicles reach via Chitrakoot and 1,500 more from the Lucknow direction.