• Source:JND
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Long traffic jams were witnessed in Prayagraj as a larger-than-expected crowd of devotees gathered in the city for Mahakumbh mela. Sunday marks the last weekend before the end of the fair, and thus a large number of devotees came to take a holy dip. Consequently, the situation worsened in Prayagraj due to traffic jams. It is reported that a 25-kilometer-long traffic jam has formed in the city, causing inconvenience to people. Vehicles are lined up on routes from Rewa, Varanasi, Kanpur, and other areas.

On Saturday, over 1.11 crore devotees took a holy dip in the Sangam. The number is expected to increase on Sunday. Due to the weekend, a large number of devotees started arriving on Saturday night. By Sunday morning, severe traffic jams were observed in both Prayagraj city and on highways.

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In light of the traffic congestion, the police administration has implemented a diversion plan. All vehicles are being diverted from Kokhraj Bypass to Phaphamau Bela Kashar parking. This is done to allow devotees to easily reach the Kumbh and take a dip. Devotees’ vehicles are being stopped 10 kilometers before the Sangam, from where they are being directed to walk to the ghats.

Due to the large number of pilgrims and the crowd at the Sangam, several routes have been diverted. This led to vehicles crawling along routes to Naini, Jhunsi, and Phaphamau. Many devotees had to walk for several kilometers, causing them difficulties. On Saturday, over 90,000 vehicles entered Prayagraj.

On the first day of the last weekend of the Mahakumbh Mela on Saturday, an unexpected number of devotees and bathers arrived. Starting late Friday night, vehicles from areas like Kaushambi, Lucknow, Pratapgarh, Jaunpur, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Rewa and Banda started entering Prayagraj in large numbers.

Based on inputs from toll plazas on various routes, the police activated separate parking areas according to the crowd size. However, by Saturday morning, the fairgrounds and its surroundings witnessed an unexpectedly large crowd. Parking areas such as Nehru Park in Dhoomanganj, Air Force Ground, Rewa Road in Naini, Agriculture, Mahewa, Saraswati Hi-Tech City, Lalbagh in Jhunsi and other locations filled up by around 11 AM.

Even the parking spaces closest to the Sangam were already full. Despite this, vehicles and devotees continued to arrive, which caused increasing traffic pressure on the routes leading to the fairground, resulting in traffic jams for several hours. Many devotees had to walk for several kilometers due to a lack of transportation. 

Due to the mounting traffic pressure, only vehicles with the registration number "UP 70" (i.e., vehicles belonging to Prayagraj residents) were allowed to enter the city. Vehicles from other districts and states were directed to park at designated parking areas along the main seven entry points to the fairground. However, traffic issues persisted at some places due to the actions of vehicle and e-rickshaw drivers.

Given the anticipated crowd on Sunday and the upcoming Maha Shivaratri, which is expected to see an even bigger crowd, seven officers have been assigned at the seven entry points of Prayagraj. These officers will be responsible for ensuring smooth and safe traffic. Additionally, the ADG Traffic will collaborate with other officials to further improve the arrangements by taking inputs regarding the crowd from other districts.

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So far, over 60 crore devotees have taken a holy dip in the Sangam during the Mahakumbh.