Commuters in Kolkata faced hours of traffic snarls on Thursday as major demonstrations converged on the city’s key arteries. Protests against the Waqf Act’s amendment and the Supreme Court annulling 25,752 school staff jobs threw traffic out of gear in the city.
Due to each of the demonstrations at Moulali, Park Circus, Dharmatala, Gariahat, Howrah Bridge, Central Kolkata Kasba and the Gariahat crossing, the chaos on the road persisted for hours, affecting office-goers and school students the worst.
The protest against the amended Waqf Act saw a significant turnout, with many individuals arriving in the city through buses from various districts to participate in a rally at Ramlila Maidan. This led to massive traffic congestion stretching from Park Circus, Moulali, and Lenin Sarani all the way to the AJC Bose Road Flyover and Dharmatala.
The city witnessed a series of processions across various routes, commencing as early as 7 am. These processions traversed key streets and landmarks including Vivekananda Road, K K Tagore Street, Kalakar Street, M G Road, Howrah Bridge, Rabindra Sarani, Heysham Road, Rashbehari Avenue, and Alimuddin Street, among others, which are expected to continue till around 7 pm.
“Central Kolkata has come to a standstill due to these two programs. There is a massive traffic jam on the roads. Common people are having to face difficulties to reach their destinations,” lamented a stranded commuter near Hind Cinema.
Meanwhile, School Service Commission (SSC) teachers gathered in Sealdah and initiated a procession along SS Banerjee Road towards Rani Rashmoni Avenue. This march effectively blocked the crucial stretch from Sealdah to Dharmatala.
Authorities responded by deploying a higher number of traffic personnel across the affected routes.
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The impact of the Waqf Act amendment protests particularly has caused Kolkata Traffic Police to keep updating their Facebook page since Thursday morning. At 2.54 pm, they announced the reopening of the road from the Don Bosco Island to CIT Road and the resumption of traffic movement through Moulali Crossing after it was halted for three hours in the afternoon, offering a brief respite to some commuters. All vehicular movement was also halted at the Central Avenue and MG Road crossing for three hours.
A traffic official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, advised citizens to opt for the metro route for travel on Thursday. “From 7 am to 7 pm, there are processions, one after another. This procession is definitely going to affect city traffic,” the official stated.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd