Chaos on roads as farm stir reaches Delhi doorstep
The march was part of their planned “Dilli Chalo” protest, with participants beginning their journey from Greater Noida in the morning.
Major roads connecting Delhi and Noida descended into chaos on Monday as approximately 4,000 farmers from various parts of Uttar Pradesh marched toward the national capital, breaching multiple several layers of police barricades along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.
The farmers, rallying under the banner of various unions, were demanding a legal guarantee for minimum support prices (MSP) on crops, along with other issues such as loan waivers, pensions for farmers and labourers, and justice for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
The march was part of their planned “Dilli Chalo” protest, with participants beginning their journey from Greater Noida in the morning.
Also read: ‘Dilli humse dur nahi…’: Protesting farmers give Centre one week's time to accept demands
The protest caused massive disruptions, with traffic congestion lasting until the evening.
Key roads, including the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, DND Flyway, and arterial routes near Mayur Vihar, New Ashok Nagar, and Okhla, were severely impacted. Police diversions rerouted vehicles through Kalindi Kunj and Noida’s internal roads, resulting in gridlock in Sectors 15, 16, and 18, and a 7km-tailback on the expressway.
Traffic on the DND Flyway also slowed to a crawl as Delhi Police placed concrete barricades to control the flow of vehicles into the Capital.
Despite the disruption, the protest remained largely peaceful, with police and farmers continuing negotiations late into the evening.
The pandemonium began around 11 a.m., with farmers assembling near the Mahamaya Flyover. Senior officers had implemented a five-layered security plan stretching 4.7km between the flyover and the Chilla border.
The first layer, supervised by DCP (Women’s Safety) Suniti near the Kalindi Kunj turn, involved blocking two lanes of the expressway and stopping suspected farmers’ vehicles. “We were checking all vehicles, and if we suspected farmers were traveling in them, we asked them to park and continue on foot,” Suniti said.
Also read: Delhi braces for another round of farmers' protest: what are their demands?
Subsequent layers included a human chain of police in anti-riot gear, reinforced barricades near Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal, and a final defence near the Chilla border connecting Noida’s Sector 14 to Mayur Vihar. Additional barricades were placed near The Great India Place mall in Sector 18, further affecting commuter routes to the Botanical Garden Metro Station and Film City flyover.
Despite these efforts, the farmers breached three security layers by the afternoon.
They climbed container trucks to cross the third layer and conducted a sit-in outside Gate No. 2 of the Dalit Prerna Sthal. A senior officer, speaking anonymously, confirmed that while protesters could bypass multiple barricades, they were prevented from entering Delhi.
The farmers accused police of blocking their vehicles, forcing them to walk nearly 5km. “We had to park our vehicles and march on foot because of the restrictions,” said Rakesh Kumar, a farmer from Dadri.
Police justified the measures, citing the ongoing Parliament session and the need to prevent any breach of law and order.
By evening, most of the farmers dispersed after discussions with authorities, though a smaller group remained near the Dalit Prerna Sthal.
“We delayed the protest to avoid peak traffic hours and minimise disruption,” said Lakhan Singh Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Noida Traffic).
The protest began on November 25, with the farmers warning they would march to Delhi if their demand for an MSP law was not met by December 2. Their demands also included compensation for families of farmers who died during earlier protests and the reinstatement of the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
Traffic police reported severe congestion at major junctions, including DND Flyway, Mayur Vihar Flyover, and Kalindi Kunj, from 11am to 5pm. Diversions and barricades caused cascading delays, particularly on roads near shopping hubs and metro stations. At 4.30pm, all diversions were lifted, allowing traffic to return to normal.
SS Kalsi, additional commissioner of police (eastern range), said, “We deployed over 1,000 personnel on the borders, working in coordination with UP Police. Farmers are currently near Mahamaya Flyover and have not entered Delhi.”
In Delhi, DCP (East) Apoorva Gupta added, “We were aware of the march and ensured security measures were in place to prevent major disruptions. Protesters have not been permitted to enter Delhi during the Parliament session to maintain public order.”
As negotiations with the farmers continue, police officials reiterated their commitment to balancing law enforcement with minimising inconvenience to the public.
