Traffic movement has been severely hit in parts of Delhi and Noida ahead of the farmers ‘Delhi Chalo’ march towards the Parliament on December 2.
Visuals captured long lines of vehicles at the Chilla border and the Delhi-Noida Direct (DND) flyover, accompanied by heavy security measures and police barricades. A video shared by news agency ANI shows cars creeping along the Chilla border, while on the DND, vehicles across at least 10 lanes appear to be completely halted.
The Noida Police have issued comprehensive traffic guidelines in anticipation of disruptions caused by a farmers’ protest march towards Delhi. Led by the Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP) and other farmer organisations, the protest aims to demand compensation and benefits from agricultural reforms, including a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
The protest will begin at noon on December 2 from the Maha Maya flyover in Noida.
“We are ready for our march to Delhi. On December 2, we will start from beneath the Maha Maya flyover in Noida. By noon, we will be there to demand compensation and benefits as promised by the new laws,” Sukhbir Khalifa, a BKP leader, told ANI.
Authorities have urged commuters to stay informed and plan their travel accordingly, as security measures, road restrictions and ongoing protests are expected to create delays across Delhi-NCR.
To minimise the impact of the protest, restrictions on heavy vehicles and diversions for passenger traffic have been implemented at major Noida-Delhi borders.
Goods vehicles will be prohibited from routes such as the Yamuna Expressway towards Delhi via the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, as well as from Sirsa to Surajpur via Parichowk.
Alternate routes for passenger vehicles
Chilla Border to Greater Noida: Sector 14-A flyover → Golchakkar Chowk Sector-15 → Sandeep Paper Mill Chowk → Jhunjhupura Chowk.
DND Border to Delhi: Film City flyover → Sector-18 → Elevated Road.
Kalindi Border to Delhi: Mahamaya flyover → Sector-37.
Greater Noida to Delhi: Charkha roundabout → Kalindi Kunj or Hajipur underpass → Kalindi Kunj through Sector-51 and Model Town.
Yamuna Expressway Traffic: Exit at Jewar toll → Khurja → Jahangirpur.
Peripheral Expressway Traffic: Avoid Sirsa exit → Use Dadri or Dasna exits for Delhi.
What the farmers’ want
Discontent among farmers has been growing since their previous march was halted at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana in February. Organisations like the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM) have condemned the government for not addressing their concerns.
Sarwan Singh Pandher, leader of KMM, accused the government of ignoring the demands for a legal guarantee on MSP and delaying talks. He said that farmers have been protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri for 293 days.
Pandher announced that a group of farmers, led by their leaders, will march to Delhi on foot on December 6, criticising the Centre for failing to engage in dialogue to resolve their issues, including the legal guarantee on MSP. The farmers will be marching every day from 9 am to 5 pm and camp overnight on the roads, he added.
Farmers, under the banners of Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been stationed at the Shambhu and Khanauri borders since February 13 after their earlier march to Delhi was blocked by security forces. Pandher accused BJP-led government of avoiding talks since February 18 with no progress in negotiations.
“Contract farming is unacceptable to us. We demand a legal guarantee on MSP,” he said. The Centre's proposal, made by a panel of ministers — Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal, and Nityanand Rai — was rejected by farmers on February 18. The proposal involved government agencies purchasing pulses, maize and cotton at MSP for five years.
Farmer leader Guramneet Singh Mangat said that when the first group of farmers begins their march to Delhi on December 6, other farmer bodies in Kerala, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu will also stage marches towards their respective state assemblies.
Meanwhile, SKM (non-political) leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal continues his hunger strike at the Khanauri border.
Farmers seeking a legal MSP guarantee have been protesting at Shambhu and Khanauri since February 13, after being stopped by security forces from marching towards Delhi on February 13 and 21.
Besides MSP guarantees, the protestors are demanding farm loan waivers, pensions for farmers and farm laborers, no hike in electricity tariffs, the withdrawal of police cases, justice for the victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, reinstatement of the 2013 Land Acquisition Act, and compensation for farmers who died during the 2020-21 protests.