Protesting farmers squat on rail tracks

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, November 23

Commuters continue to face hardships on the third day of the ongoing farmers’ stir on the Jalandhar-Phagwara national highway near Dhanowali village.

Increased flow of traffic on narrow roads

Despite the recommendations of the district administration to take alternative routes via Subhanpur, Dasuya, Nakodar, Kala Sanghian, Rama Mandi, commuters were a harried lot as most of these roads are in a poor condition. Increased flow of traffic on these narrow roads doubled the travel time, adding to the ordeal of daily commutes.

Several trains cancelled, diverted

Rail passengers were also affected due to the farmers’ protest. As many as 30 trains were cancelled, diverted or their origins were changed. Passengers stranded at the city and cantonment railway stations had to endure extended waits. They had to look for alternative modes to reach their destinations.

Blocking tracks, roads a daily affair in Punjab

Blocking railway tracks and roads has become a daily affair in Punjab. I have to attend my cousin’s wedding tomorrow and our train got cancelled. We have to book a private taxi, which cost me more than the actual price due to the urgency.— Ashish, a passenger

Adding to the chaos, farmers today blocked the railway crossing at Dhanowali. It led to inconvenience to rail passengers, who remained stranded at the Jalandhar City and Cantonment railway stations for hours.

Despite the recommendations of the district administration to take alternative routes via Subhanpur, Dasuya, Nakodar, Kala Sanghian, Rama Mandi, commuters were a harried lot as most of these roads are in a poor condition. Increased flow of traffic on these narrow routes doubled the travel time, adding to the ordeal of daily commutes.

Satish Singh, who commutes daily from Phillaur to Jalandhar, highlighted the lack of clarity on alternative routes. It took him four hours to reach home on Tuesday. Even now, covering a 40-minute distance takes nearly two hours due to increased traffic via Nakodar.

Questioning the government’s inaction, Monica Singh, another commuter, said with elections on the horizon, the state government and the opposition remained silent, leaving commuters to bear the brunt.

Rail passengers were also affected due to the farmers’ protest. As many as 30 trains were cancelled, diverted or their origins were changed. Passengers stranded at the city and cantonment railway stations had to endure extended waits. They had to look for alternative modes to reach their destinations.

Ashish, a passenger, said: “Blocking railway tracks and roads has become a daily affair in Punjab. I have to attend my cousin’s wedding tomorrow and our train got cancelled. We have to book a private taxi, which cost me more than the actual price due to the urgency.”

Kashmiri Lal, another passenger, said: “We had sympathies with farmers, but public should not be harassed due to the protest”.