Barricades to halt farmers stops traffic in its tracks in Chandigarh, Mohali

Heavy traffic disruptions were reported across Chandigarh and Mohali on Wednesday as barricades set up by police to prevent protesting farmers from entering Chandigarh caused severe congestion.

With extensive security measures in place to halt the arrival of protesting farmers from Punjab, under Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM)’s Chandigarh’s (SKM’s) sit-in call, commuters travelling from Zirakpur, Mohali, Kharar, Dera Bassi and nearby areas found themselves stuck in serpentine queues.

Nearly 3,500 police personnel were deployed across major entry points to block farmers from reaching Chandigarh. Police maintained strict monitoring, checking every vehicle entering the city, verifying ID cards, and inspecting inter-state and private buses for farmers attempting to enter in disguise. Commuters covering their faces were asked to uncover them for identification and ID cards were verified.

While commuters were allowed entry after proper verification, five protesters attempting to enter the city were detained under preventive measures, said SSP Kanwaldeep Kaur.

Dozens of farmers were detained as a preventive measure by Mohali police as well.

Though around 30 farmers managed to enter Mohali by evading police surveillance, they were soon detained and brought to the Mataur police station. Also, some farmers attempting to cross the UT-Mohali border were detained near Amb Sahib gurdwara and taken to the Phase 8 police station. Police also seized about a dozen tractor-trolleys.

Massive traffic chaos ensued due to the heightened security measures, causing long queues and significant delays.

The Zirakpur-Chandigarh border, in particular, experienced bumper-to-bumper traffic, with congestion stretching nearly a kilometre. Vehicles moving from Zirakpur to Chandigarh crawled at a snail’s pace, as strict checks continued throughout the morning.

Apart from barricades, police also stationed sand-laden trucks at most entry points to prevent protesters from advancing into the city.

Even in Mohali, around 700 police personnel were deployed across the district, with checkpoints set up to monitor movement.

At the Kurali-Mohali and Gharuan-Mohali highways, which connect further to Delhi-Ambala, Rupnagar, Ludhiana and Patiala routes, vehicles were stuck in traffic for nearly two kilometres, causing immense frustration among stranded commuters.

To ease congestion in Kharar, police diverted vehicles through Siswan.

Sukhpreet Kaur from Kharar, who had a bus to catch from Sector 43, missed her ride due to the traffic chaos. “Had I known about this traffic situation, I would have taken another route. Now my bus has left and I don’t know how long I will be stuck here.”

Satpal Singh, a shop owner from Mohali, also expressed frustration: “I had to reach my shop early today to receive an important delivery, but I’ve been stuck here for almost 20 minutes. My business depends on timely deliveries, and this delay is costing me money.”

Similarly, Jagtap Sidhu, a cab driver, pointed out the impact on his daily earnings. “Driving a cab means every minute counts. Today, I’ve already cancelled two rides because I couldn’t move an inch in this traffic. The least the authorities could do is provide alternative arrangements for working professionals like us,” he added.

A police official confirmed that strict monitoring at Chandigarh’s entry points will continue, with restrictions on entry remaining in place to prevent unauthorised protests. Meanwhile, commuters urged authorities to find better ways to balance security measures while ensuring smooth traffic flow in and around the city.