Statue inaugural, festival rush and procession clog city traffic
The Hindu
Statue inaugural, festival rush and procession clog city traffic
It was a day-long traffic gridlock in the central part of Hyderabad as multiple events played out in near simultaneous time.
“Earlier in the day, the traffic was bad because of the inauguration of the Ambedkar Statue near Necklace Road Rotary. Once that eased, we have this procession that will go on till 11 p.m.,” said a traffic constable guarding the route near Green Park Hotel. The stretch of road had restricted movement in the evening to ensure participation of residents in the procession to mark 324th Khalsa Panth Foundation Day or Baisakhi festival.
“Our timing has been affected as it rained in the morning. The procession started at 6 p.m. and will end at 11.30 p.m. at the Gurudwara after going around the Panjagutta Junction,” informed Preetpal Singh, who was part of the procession.
While the traffic police created elaborate arrangements to isolate the Necklace Road Rotary for the inaugural function between 1 p.m. and 8 p.m. it had a cascading effect elsewhere right up to Masab Tank, Paradise and Nampally.
At 5.30 p.m. the traffic police issued a guideline: “Due to VVIP movement and heavy flow of traffic, movement of vehicles is slow from Chutneys, NFCL, Panjagutta X Roads, Somajiguda Circle, Camp Office towards Begumpet Flyover. Panjagutta Traffic police are available and regulating traffic.”
Similar guidelines were issued by the traffic officials through the day, but commuters stuck in the traffic were not amused.
“It took me 30 minutes to come from Masab Tank to Greenlands at 7.30 p.m. Usually, around that time it never took me more than 5-7 minutes,” said another commuter who lives in Khairatabad but took the Banjara Hills Road no 1 to avoid traffic on the Raj Bhavan Road. Friday prayers at masjids and evening Ramzan shopping added to the woes of commuters.
The Medical & Health Department launched a mass screening test in the tribal hamlets of Buruga and China Konela of Ananthagiri mandal in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district on Monday, June 10. It also organised a medical camp to detect malaria cases and treat those with symptoms of the infection at Buruga.