Prayagraj sees 300-km-long traffic jam, leave devotees without food, water amid Mahakumbh

Massive crowds of devotees attending the Mahakumbh caused severe traffic jams in Prayagraj, leaving thousands stranded on the roads without food and water for several hours.

Reports indicate that all roads leading to the Sangam, where the Ganga, Yamuna, and the mythical Saraswati rivers converge, were congested with vehicles. Devotees struggled to even walk toward the Sangam amid the chaos.

Additionally, the routes connecting Prayagraj to Madhya Pradesh, Lucknow, Varanasi, and other areas were heavily packed with vehicles. Many devotees reported waiting for over eight hours to reach the Sangam.

February 9, 2025

Prayagraj Sangam railway station was closed due to excessive crowd outside the station.

At several locations, devotees were observed arguing with police officers, demanding the removal of barricades to allow their vehicles to pass.

 February 8, 2025

Anamika Tewari, a devotee, shared her experience of being stuck a few kilometers before Prayagraj for hours. "It took five to six hours to travel a distance of six kilometers," she stated.

Reports also indicated chaotic scenes in Varanasi, Hardoi, and other stations, where passengers heading to the Maha Kumbh attempted to force their way into already overcrowded compartments, which were locked from the inside.

In Varanasi, a group of women forced their way into the engine of a train heading to Prayagraj after being unable to enter the passenger coaches. They were later removed with assistance from the police. Meanwhile, in Hardoi, frustrated passengers vandalized the coaches after being unable to access the overcrowded compartments.

Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav criticized the state government for its "poor arrangements" and called for the provision of food and water for devotees who had been stranded for several hours. He questioned on social media, "Are the ordinary devotees not human beings?"

ADCP (Traffic) Kuldeep Singh said, “The number of vehicles is very high and the passengers are trying to come as close as possible to the Maha Kumbh Mela area. Due to this, there is a long jam.” Singh said that almost the same crowd is coming now as had come on ‘Mauni Amavasya’.

“The distant parking lot is 50 per cent full. The nearest parking lot is a small parking lot, while the distant parking lot is big,” he said.He said that the vehicles of the local people do not run on the bathing festival, but now all types of vehicles are running.

(With the inputs of PTI)