Delhi Police allows movement at Singhu border after yearlong farmers’ protests

After over a year, the Delhi Police on Wednesday allowed traffic movement as well as opened two carriageways at the Singhu border after it dismantled all the barricades that were erected to prevent the protesting farmers from moving towards the national capital.

“It has been decided that Singhu border be opened from Delhi side also. It has been opened for all vehicles,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer north) Brijesh Yadav said.

The Singhu Border on the Delhi-Chandigarh highway had been the epicentre of the farmers' movement against the three central farm laws.

Farmers started leaving the protest site on the Delhi-Haryana border on Saturday after the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) suspended the agitation following the repeal of the farm laws and the government conceding to its other demands.

“Only one part of the road was opened. The traffic was opened only for smaller vehicles such as bikes as the road needs to be repaired at many parts which have been damaged due to the protest. It is high time the authorities repair the stretch soon and open the traffic properly,” Jitin Dabas, a resident of Singhu village said.

A commuter, Ashwani Tiwari, however, said it was a welcome move for those travelling to Haryana and Punjab.

“One had to make a detour to reach Haryana and Punjab. Even if one wanted to go to Murthal, one had to take peripheral highways. Opening of traffic on the stretch will now save time and money of commuters,” Tiwari, a resident of Azadpur, said.

Besides the Singhu border, farmers, mainly from Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, had laid siege to Delhi's Tikri and Ghazipur borders on November 26 last year.

The roads have already been cleared for commuters at the Tikri border and traffic is plying on the stretch, police said. However, the traffic is yet to be started at the Ghazipur border. A senior police officer said that the road is still close for traffic movement.