Mohali: Stranded commuters, vehicles stuck in long traffic jams and emergency vehicles struggling to get past blocked roads. The Punjab bandh call disrupted routine life in Mohali on Thursday, as protesters blocked key roads and intersections. Travelling within the city or reaching Chandigarh became a major challenge for office-goers and other commuters.The bandh call was issued by various groups, including members of slain anti-drug activist Parvinder Singh Jhotta’s family, political parties, farmer organisations and religious bodies, in protest against his killing.Protesters blocked major traffic points across Mohali, leaving the police struggling to regulate traffic and clear the way for vehicles. Several roads were completely closed, resulting in long queues and diversions that offered little relief to people trying to reach their destinations.Although ambulances were allowed to pass at some locations, they struggled to navigate roads choked with traffic. In one instance, a man was seen showing hospital papers to protesters who had blocked the road. He was eventually allowed to proceed. Police personnel, including station house officers, were seen trying to pacify protesters and persuade them to keep service roads open for emergency and essential movement.The disruption also affected official movement, with reports of vehicles belonging to administrative officers, including an SDM, being denied passage at certain points.The Zirakpur-Patiala highway and Azizpur toll plaza were completely blocked, while Landran Chowk was also closed to traffic, with police personnel deployed at the spot. Major intersections across Mohali witnessed blockades, compounding the traffic chaos.Toll plazas on the Mohali-Gharuan road and near Kurali were blocked, disrupting traffic.Some office-goers anticipated the disruption and crossed into Chandigarh early in the morning, before the protest intensified. Those who left later, however, faced considerable difficulties reaching workplaces and other destinations.In Mohali, closed markets wore a deserted look. The impact of the bandh extended to Kharar, Kurali and New Chandigarh. Protesters also forcibly closed liquor vends at a few places.Sarabjit Singh Paras, president of the Mohali Beopar Mandal, said shopkeepers had initially opened their establishments but were forced to close them as the protest gathered momentum.“Shops were open in the morning, but by noon, protesters got them closed,” Paras said.SP (investigations) Saurav Jindal said, “The Punjab bandh call in Mohali was peaceful, except for traffic jams witnessed at many junctures. We managed to open service lanes for traffic movement and also convinced protesters to allow single-lane movement at toll plazas. The protest ended by 4pm.”The response was comparatively lukewarm in Zirakpur, Dera Bassi and Lalru, where most shops remained open, unlike in Mohali city and other affected markets.Protesters blocked the road from Dera Bassi to Barwala and Mubarakpur from the morning. By the afternoon, markets in Dera Bassi and Lalru were closed.There was no obstruction to traffic on the main national highway from Ambala to Chandigarh.With roadblocks disrupting movement across key routes, the bandh brought daily activity to a halt in several parts of the district.BOX: Schools closedMany schools remained closed on Thursday amid fears that staff, students and parents could get stuck in traffic jams. Mohali deputy commissioner Komal Mittal said, “Schools took their own call as there were no such orders from the govt. No untoward incident has been reported from the district during the bandh call.”BOX: State transport affectedPeople travelling on state transport buses were seen walking towards Kharar and Mohali as buses remained stuck in traffic jams. Daily commuters and office-goers had to walk long distances to reach their destinations. State transport buses were also seen stranded at the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur interstate bus terminus in Mohali, as the main road to Kharar was blocked by protesters.
