Panipat struggles to find way out of traffic chaos

Mukesh Tandon

Traffic chaos is one of the biggest problems that textile city Panipat is facing. Even after the construction of a parking facility for around 7,000 vehicles under the elevated highway, the administration has not been able to curb traffic jams on city roads and the National Highway-44.

Handloom city Panipat is located on both sides of the National Highway-44 (earlier National Highway-1) and to ease traffic congestion in the city, the 10-km Panipat elevated highway, including a 3.4-km flyover, was constructed in 2008 during the Congress government. Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid its foundation stone in April 2006. 

To check traffic jams, Deputy Commissioner Sumedha Kataria with the support of local NGO Ek Prayas had started a parking facility for around 7,000 vehicles under the elevated highway in October last year but only three or four blocks are being used for the purpose. The total area under the elevated highway is 2,400 metres and 14 blocks of 1,800 metres have been developed as parking slots.

The big reason for the traffic chaos is encroachments, says advocate Amit Rathi, a member of the GT Road Bachao Sangharsh Samiti. 

The district administration claims to have controlled traffic jams in Panipat city by launching special drives, but no permanent solution has been found to deal with the situation, he adds.

According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) records, the width of the GT Road is 60 metres but it has reduced by one to 14 metres at several places in Panipat city, says Rathi. 

According to an NHAI report, more than 153 persons, who have encroached upon the highway on both sides, have been identified. The NHAI has the details of encroachments but it has taken no action so far, says Rathi. 

Besides, over 7,000 auto-rickshaws plying in the city, most of them on the highway, add to traffic jams. The administration had launched an odd-even formula to counter traffic jams on the National Highway-44 twice in the last two years but after a long protest by auto-rickshaw unions and under political pressure it was revoked.

 Now, long queues of vehicles, and auto-rickshaws can be seen near the Sanjay Chowk, Red Light Chowk, Insaar Market Chowk and on the Railway road, Sanoli road, Gohana road turn and the Assandh road in the city.

At the time of opening of the parking under the elevated highway, the Deputy Commissioner had said that no vehicle would be allowed to be parked on service roads but no one takes the direction seriously. People park vehicles on service roads and the national highway too, says Jatin Khurana, a Model Town resident. Stringent action is needed against people who park vehicles at unauthorised places, he adds.

Mayor Avneet Kaur says, “Traffic jams are a major problem in Panipat city. I have taken up the issue with the district administration as well as the police and some temporary solutions are also being applied to ease traffic congestion. A permanent solution to the traffic chaos on city roads is to construct the drain number-1 bypass and open cuts on the elevated highway but it will take some time,” she says.

 Satish Kumar, DSP, claims that the traffic flow in Panipat city is better now as police personnel have been deployed at all important points on the national highway. 

Vehicles wrongly parked on service lanes and the national highway and a large number of auto-rickshaws plying in the city are the main causes of the traffic problem, he adds. 

 “We have directed the owners of all shops and showrooms and bank officials to park their vehicles at the designated places under the elevated highway,” he says.

“Besides, we are also going to curb the number of auto-rickshaws plying in the city. All SHOs have been directed to check the documents of auto-rickshaws so that those having completed their 10 years can be removed,” the DSP adds.

Satish says that strict action will be taken against persons who park their vehicles on roads.

No permanent solution in sight

}The big reason for the traffic chaos in Panipat city is encroachments. The district administration claims to have controlled traffic jams in Panipat city by launching special drives, but no permanent solution has been found to deal with the situation. —Amit Rathi, member of GT Road Bachao Sangharsh Samiti

Stringent action needed

At the time of opening of the parking under the elevated highway, the Deputy Commissioner had said that no vehicle would be allowed to be parked on service roads but no one takes the direction seriously. People park vehicles on service roads and the national highway too. Stringent action is needed against people who park vehicles at unauthorised places. —Jatin Khurana, resident of Model Town