DND flyover briefly closed due to farmer's rally, agitators warn of going on indefinite protest

Hundreds of farmers from the hinterland rained on the Delhi-Noida border on Friday afternoon, triggering traffic jams across the Delhi-NCR. These people who had planned to reach Jantar Mantar to hold a protest were stopped at the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway, causing a huge traffic chaos. The farmer had to hault at the border as the DND was shut for all while the traffic was diverted. It is pertinent to mention here that the Delhi Traffic Police had issued traffic advisory prior to the protest. 

As per the latest reports, farmers have decided to go on an indefinite strike. They are sitting on one side on the DND. Arrangements for food and blankets for them are being made. 

Four farmer leaders are in meeting with the DM and and some had gone to give a memorandum to the PM. 

The senior superintendent of police Gautam Budh Nagar Vaibhav krishna visited the farmers on the DND, requesting them to vacate and settle the matter. 

However farmers have rejected his requests and warned the administration that if their demands aren't met they might block the DND and cause alot of traffic problems. 

" If are demands are not met, our famer brothers from across the nation would join us and we would barge into the national capital and March towards Jantar Mantar," said Nagar.

The Delhi Traffic police had just alerted stating that due to the proposed rally by farmers traffic coming from Noida via DND is likely to be affected after 2 pm on Friday however the decision to shut down the DND was taken after the farmers arrived on tractors-trolley to participate in the protest.

The Noida Traffic Police had also in the morning on their twitter handle alerted commuters to take alternate routes, however they did not stop the farmers despite knowing the fact that tractor trolley’s are not allowed in the National Capital. The lack of coordination between Noida Police and Delhi Traffic Police was evident as commuters had a harrowing time. The major link road between Noida and Delhi was shut making the situation worse for people as a long car pile up was visible on the alternate routes. To cover a distance of around 12 kms from ITO to Film City in Noida commuters took as long as two hours, a distance usually covered in not more than 30 minutes.

“Our group of farmers had gathered at Jewar at 10 am and started our march towards Jantar Manter to hold the protest. Farmers of Khacheda village have also joined the protest as their land was allegedly taken from them for building high-tech societies. They have joined us so that they can get their land back and explore the nexus being run by the police and authority in the area. However, as we reached DND to enter Delhi at around 5 pm, they had shut DND,” said Dushyant Naagar, Convenor, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti

He further said that they are planning to hold an infinite protest and also looking to join hands with Anna Hazaare, who is fighting for the farmers.

“Our demands are loan waiver, subsidised electricity and fuel, pension for farmers above 60 and implementation of the MSP as per the production cost approved by the Swaminathan Commission. The contentious issue is what is the production cost that a farmer incurs and how can the minimum support price be 50% more than it. Mandarins have obfuscated the production cost in such a manner that the farmer rarely makes money on MSP,” said Naagar.

“NCR traffic is getting worse day by day. I left my house in Greater Noida at 3:45 to reach rehearsals for a play at Defence Colony at 5:30 and I'm glad I did because at 5:30 I had just managed to reach the DND Toll which was shut. The police asked all the cars to take a U Turn from thereThe queue of cars for the U-turn was long and people started driving in the wrong direction making the situation worse. It was a complete mess and I chose to return home as the alternate routes were in a no better condition ,” said Kritika Bhatia, a theatre artist.      

On being asked why the Delhi Police had not issued any advisory and the last minute mess that was created a senior Delhi Police official said “The farmers had arrived on tractor trolleys which are prohibited to enter the National Capital but they were hell bent. We asked them to come in buses and head towards Ramlila maidan but they decided to sit at the entrance of the DND and hence we had to shut it down. People were suggested alternate routes and the Delhi traffic police social media platforms was being posted with updates,”. The traffic police of both the states had advised to use alternate roads via Mayur Vihar and Kalindi Kunj for movement between Noida and Delhi to avoid inconvenience.