Ghaziabad: After a Monday of snarls triggered by the closure of Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME), commuters could get some relief on Tuesday if the flow of dak kanwars falls. Traffic police will assess the movement of pilgrims around noon before deciding whether to reopen the expressway to regular traffic later in the day.ADCP (traffic) Varun Kumar Singh said the closure would continue till Tuesday, but the situation would be reviewed before any decision. “We will assess the movement of dak kanwars and take a call accordingly. If their numbers come down, DME can be opened for the public,” he added.More than 2,500 dak kanwars had crossed DME by Monday evening, while thousands more had passed through Ghaziabad on other designated kanwar routes, Singh said.A senior officer said over 2,000 dak kanwars were still expected to pass through the city overnight. With Shivratri on Tuesday, their numbers are expected to decline from Tuesday morning.“If the footfall drops as expected, the Meerut-UP Gate stretch may be reopened to regular traffic by Tuesday evening. But the decision will depend entirely on the ground situation,” the officer said.Kalindi to be choked tooIt’s not just DME. Traffic around Kalindi Kunj is also likely to remain slow till Aug 12 because of heavy movement of kanwar pilgrims and repair work on the Okhla Barrage-Kalindi Kunj stretch, traffic cops in Delhi said.The advisory flagged congestion at Kalindi Kunj junction, Okhla Barrage road towards Noida, Kalindi Kunj-Noida road and the road leading to Okhla Bird Sanctuary. Poor road conditions and waterlogging are expected to add to the problem.Motorists travelling between Delhi, Noida and Faridabad have been advised to avoid Kalindi Kunj during peak hours, use alternative routes and allow extra travel time. Police also urged commuters to avoid unnecessary travel, roadside parking and wrong-side driving.
