Lakhs of devotees going to the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, were stranded in their vehicles on Sunday, hundreds of kilometres away from the designated location for the fair. Internet users have described it as the “world’s biggest traffic jam”. The jam, which included vehicles of devotees going to the Maha Kumbh Mela through Madhya Pradesh, stretched for 200-300 kilometres. The jam forced the police to stop traffic in several areas on Sunday and evacuate people stranded on roads for several hours. Amid reports of traffic jam, Prayagraj local agency reported that Raj Sangam station of Northern Railway Lucknow Division will remain closed for passenger movement from 1:30 pm on February 9 to midnight of February 14. The Prayagraj district administration said, “Regular and abnormal trains are running from other 8 stations falling in the Maha Kumbh area, especially Prayagraj Chheoki, Naini, Prayagraj Intersection, Subedarganj, Prayag, Phaphamau, Prayagraj Rambagh and Jhunsi.” According to news agency PTI, a day earlier, hundreds of vehicles headed towards Prayagraj were stopped in different areas of Madhya Pradesh to avoid heavy crowds and congestion. Stopping vehicular movement in different areas of Madhya Pradesh, police asked people to find a safe place. Police vehicles in Katni area announced that movement has been stopped till Monday, while Maihar police asked vehicles to return to Katni and Jabalpur and stay there. “It is inconceivable to go towards Prayagraj these days, as there is movement at a distance of 200-300 km,” the PTI report quoted the police as saying. Several recordings on social media showed long queues of thousands of cars and trucks on roads in MP’s Katni, Jabalpur, Maihar and Rewa areas.
‘Possibly the world’s biggest traffic jam’
Eyewitnesses claimed that there was a massive traffic jam for 250 km from Katni to the MP-UP border at Chakghat in Rewa district.
Travellers reported the jam on social media, with one customer saying, “15 km traffic jam in Jabalpur…yet Prayagraj is 400 km away. Better check the traffic situation before coming to Maha Kumbh!”
On Monday, “Stuck in possibly the world’s biggest traffic jam (15-20 km) at Kumbh… Prayagraj is completely jammed.”
The post read, “Covered ~5 km in 5 hours, should have reached Lucknow by now. Traffic was so bad, I had to cancel my flight ticket and book another one at double the price.”
In-charge Director General of Police (Rewa zone) Saket Prakash Pandey said the traffic jam on Sunday was due to the traffic jam.
He said the situation is likely to improve in a few days.
Pandey said the MP police is allowing vehicles to pass after talks with the Prayagraj administration.
Eyewitnesses claimed that vehicles have been stuck in the traffic jam for 48 hours. “It is taking around 10-12 hours to cover a distance of 50 km,” said a person.
The police said they were stopping vehicles at various places in view of the crowd on the MP-UP border.
Meanwhile, the Rewa district administration said the number of passengers going to Prayagraj is not decreasing, due to which there is a constant pressure of vehicles on the Rewa-Prayagraj road.
The Rewa district administration said in a release that as the crowd moved ahead of Chakghat, vehicles were stopped there and at other places.
A large number of vehicles are parked on both sides of the highway leading to Prayagraj, an official said.
Rewa district collector Pratibha Badi said they are working closely with the Prayagraj administration.
She said vehicles were stuck due to heavy crowd on the highway.
“Arrangements are being made for safe stay, food and water for the people (stuck in the work jam),” she said.
Madhya Pradesh BJP president VD Sharma urged party workers to help pilgrims going to Maha Kumbh from their areas.
Sharma tweeted, “All officials are requested to help the pilgrims going to Maha Kumbh from their areas in every possible way. Make arrangements for their food and facilities if needed. Take special care that the devotees do not face any kind of trouble. Let us play our role in this Maha Yagya.”
More than 40 crore devotees from India and abroad have come to take a holy bath at the confluence of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers in the Maha Kumbh Mela that began on January 13 and will end on February 26.
