[sgiitk]

I think this is becoming crazy. In Kanpur they are blocking NH25 today since there is a Shab-e-barat procession. The problem has been created by our myopic (nay blind) planners. Our GQ roads (barring one or two exceptions) are only Dual Carriageways and NOT motorways. Globally, whenever you try and set up a toll highway you always leave a non-toll alternative. In India they have upgraded roads to Toll without a thought for local traffic. If you had left the local road network in place then all this straffic could have been confined to those.

In France you always have these roads often signposted as Bis on Autoroutes. In the UK the A Road network was not dismantled for the M network. Agreed UK is no toll but Motorways/Autoroutes/Autobahns are restricted access

[Irish]

Muzaffarnagar: The Delhi-Haridwar National Highway will be closed for traffic for 10 days beginning today to facilitate smooth movement of 'kanwarias', devotees of Lord Shiva. SSP Praveen Kumar said the step has been taken to prevent any untoward incident during movement of 'kanwarias'.
District authorities have also decided to close all schools and colleges in the district from July 20 to July 29 due to diversion of routes, District Magistrate Pankaj Kumar said today. Kanwarias collect holy water of River Ganga in Haridwar in pots and walk back to their home during the Hindu month of 'Shravan'. (PTI)

Source: Kanwar yatra: Delhi-Haridwar NH to be closed

Another link in Hindi: http://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com...ow/9281873.cms


Please plan your journey accordingly.

Cheers!
Irish

[New.Novice]

Originally Posted by Eddy

When is the madness expected to hit the NH8 ?

Drove to office with a lot of trepidation today, but thankfully it was clear

Noticed Pandals being set up on my way home yesterday (Gurgaon). For next one and a half week, I am not taking NH8, taking internal roads in stead.

[Irish]

Originally Posted by New.Novice

Noticed Pandals being set up on my way home yesterday (Gurgaon). For next one and a half week, I am not taking NH8, taking internal roads in stead.

Devotees have already started reaching Delhi. This week (till 23rd / 24th July), the drive on Delhi roads can be manageable but please don't forget to leave your homes early starting next Monday (25th July).

The period from 25th July - 29th July will have the PEAK RUSH of devotees on roads in and around Delhi.

Drive safe!

Cheers!
Irish

[sgiitk]

@Irish; You have local knowledge so are much better off. As for the rest of India - God help you (I doubt whether even He can).

[BoneCollector]

How bad will the devotee rush be in the week 1st Aug-7thAug?

[Irish]

Originally Posted by sgiitk

@Irish; You have local knowledge so are much better off. As for the rest of India - God help you (I doubt whether even He can).

Very well said, Sir! Only God can help us on the Indian roads. This is because there is so much TALENT in India, just like this:

Bikers perform dangerous stunts on Delhi roads : India: India Today

Drive Safe!

Cheers!
Irish

[phamilyman]

Irish,

That is not the danger period. The horrible period for Delhi is the last 2 days when the blessed Dak kanwars make their appearance. Only god can deliver us from this ever increasing nuisance.

and I'm sorry but a stunting biker is far far lesser a nuisance (but a nuisance no less) than kavariyas. We indians have morons of all shapes and sizes - from the trucks who clog the fast lane to the fellows talking on their phone at triple digit speeds to people coming the wrong way. We're a poster case of how not to run a transportation system.

[Irish]

Originally Posted by BoneCollector

How bad will the devotee rush be in the week 1st Aug-7thAug?

Absolutely NO RUSH.
There will not be any devotee during 1 Aug - 7 Aug, as the Kanvar season ends on 29th July 2011 with "Shivratri Kanwar", the last day to offer holy water of the river Ganges on Shivalinga.

Only a few hundreds can be spotted for the next couple of days, who could not continue with the pace due to their illness. Even the organisers will start closing down the Kanvar camps in the evening of the last day (29th July) in Delhi.

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Irish,

That is not the danger period. The horrible period for Delhi is the last 2 days when the blessed Dak kanwars make their appearance. Only god can deliver us from this ever increasing nuisance.

and I'm sorry but a stunting biker is far far lesser a nuisance (but a nuisance no less) than kavariyas. We indians have morons of all shapes and sizes - from the trucks who clog the fast lane to the fellows talking on their phone at triple digit speeds to people coming the wrong way. We're a poster case of how not to run a transportation system.

Agreed, last 2 days are the most horrible but there are few routes in Delhi, which experince heavy rush during the last week of the yatra. These routes are those which connects UP with Haryana and Rajasthan via Delhi.

For example these routes:

• Ghaziabad --> Sahibabad-> Apsara Border --> Shahdara --> ISBT --> Karol bagh --> NH8.
• Same situation can be experienced on NH 24 (but now its a six lane highway; Ghaziabad --> Mayur Vihar --> Sarai Kale Khan).
• Also the Wazirabad route (Ghaziabad --> Sahibabad --> Yamuna Vihar --> Wazirabad) experinces heay rush during the last week.

During the last 2 days, these routes are either closed or traffic is diverted on a single carriageway.

The only mantra to drive during such times is to start early and have patience while driving.

Cheers!
Irish

[Masda]

I commute to Gurgaon daily from Dwarka and can't tell you how much I hate to drive on days when these goons are on the roads. They will not hesitate to brandish a baseball bat or a hockey stick at the slightest provocation! Why on earth, our Government allows such mass disruption to our already fragile transportation system? How ridiculous to block National Highways (leave alone lesser streets) for some religious procession? What a colossal wastage of fuel due to detours/jams, and what if a poor soul needs to be rushed to a hospital in an emergency? Sorry folks, just venting out some steam on this public forum!

Guess nothing else can be done, except roll up your window, put your AC on to max, and enjoy your favorite music while the Kavariyas floor it through our highways.

[SS-Traveller]

Originally Posted by Irish

Source: Kanwar yatra: Delhi-Haridwar NH to be closed

The NH58 road north of Meerut has been closed to HTVs only, from Sunday, and for the whole road from Wednesday (tomorrow). LMVs and buses continue to ply on the road, and would be barred from 23rd July onwards, till 30th July 2011. All educational institutions (including the one I go to) on NH58 and surrounding it have been asked to close from 23rd to 30th July.

[Masda]

That's how bad the jam was today morning at the KM 24 Toll on the Gurgaon Expressway


The reason:- check out the Kawar shivir at the far end just after the Toll. What a mess!

[New.Novice]

Folks, I have spent some good years in delhi to experience it first hand. No doubts thats its a huge inconvenience and a big irritant. However, having read through some of the comments, I think I must say following.

Yes, the phenomina is increaing every year. But please be a little considerate when you use adjectives to describe it. I say that becuase of..

1. If even one of those kanwariyas do it out of true belief (the way it must have been conveived whenever this originated), it is insulting to color them all with one brush. Like calling all of them "goons". No, I think thats taking this beyond permissable limit of any educated forum.

2. Yes the government is failing to handle the whole thing in a disciplined manner, it's governments' inability and not kanwars. But then, thats no news. Its true for all religious (belonging to all religions) processions, political rallies etc. Why single out kanwar procession as the only menace to society, just beucase it seems to be largest?

Hope I was able to put my point across.

[Mik]

While the feat they achieve is really mindboggling, but it doesn't give them the passport to be a law onto themselves.
Personally, i have been stuck in nightmarish jams even on a bike because of these goons who decide that they can just block the NH8 traffic and sit on the road or even hold a procession there.
Sometimes, i really feel like running over one of these goons

Anger management issues. You bet!

[Irish]

Originally Posted by New.Novice

Folks, I have spent some good years in delhi to experience it first hand. No doubts thats its a huge inconvenience and a big irritant. However, having read through some of the comments, I think I must say following.

Yes, the phenomina is increaing every year. But please be a little considerate when you use adjectives to describe it. I say that becuase of..

1. If even one of those kanwariyas do it out of true belief (the way it must have been conveived whenever this originated), it is insulting to color them all with one brush. Like calling all of them "goons". No, I think thats taking this beyond permissable limit of any educated forum.

2. Yes the government is failing to handle the whole thing in a disciplined manner, it's governments' inability and not kanwars. But then, thats no news. Its true for all religious (belonging to all religions) processions, political rallies etc. Why single out kanwar procession as the only menace to society, just beucase it seems to be largest?

Hope I was able to put my point across.

You are right. Not everybody is the same. But most of them are like that only. Its not related to any religion. I would say its related to a GATHERING. Gathering related to anything like religious festival, Political rallies, strike in college/school/factory and even during the army's recruitment drives etc etc. Where there is gathering, and if it gets disturbed due to any reason, it is very difficult to control it.

For example: question paper is out of syllabus, students do the chakka jam and during that if somebody breaks one windscreen of any bus, then it becomes very difficult to save even the private vehicles. So in the end, who is resposible? Students? Teachers? Police? Or the innocent public?

Originally Posted by Mik

Sometimes, i really feel like running over one of these goons

Anger management issues. You bet!

Please don't ever do that. Not only with Kanwariyas but also anybody who is a part of any such procession, as discussed above.

Cheers!
Irish