Key border points connecting Delhi with its satellite towns are choked amid multiple diversions ahead of a mega farmers’ march to the national capital.

Long queues of cars were seen on the highways at Ghazipur and Chilla borders, which connect Delhi with Ghaziabad and Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

A commuter stuck on the DND flyover told NDTV he could travel “only a kilometre in over an hour”. “The traffic is standing still for the past 20 minutes. The road seems blocked ahead and there’s no u-turn,” he said.

The traffic is slow on NH-48 too, which connects Delhi with Gurugram, and vehicles are being checked before entering the national capital.  

Several border points, including Ghazipur, Singhu and Tikri, have been fortified to prevent the protesting farmers from entering Delhi.

Concrete blocks and layers of barricades have been erected on highways to stop tractors and trollies from rolling across the border points. Barbed wires and nails have also been installed on the roads.

The farmers held talks with a government delegation last night, but there was no consensus on three of their key demands – including a law guaranteeing the minimum support price (MSP).

Authorities have barred the entry of goods vehicles from entering Delhi via the Greater Noida Expressway, Delhi Traffic Police said in its latest guidelines. Goods vehicles will also not be allowed to travel between Sirsa in Haryana and Uttar Pradesh’s Surajpur via Parichowk.

Those travelling to Delhi from the DND border have been advised to take the elevated road via Sector 18 from Film City. Commuters from Chilla side can use the Sector 14A Flyover, Roundabout Chowk, Sector 15 via Sandeep Paper Mill Chowk, Jhundapura Chowk.

People must take the Mahamaya Flyover for travelling from Kalindi Kunj Border to Delhi and while using the Yamuna Expressway, commuters are advised to get down from Jewar Toll towards Khurja and take the Jahangirpur route.

The 69th Hyundai Filmfare Awards 2024 with Gujarat Tourism, a two-day celebration of Hindi cinema culminated with the Awards Ceremony in GIFT City, Gujarat on January 28. The evening saw some of the best talents of the film industry take home top honours. Between stylish red carpet moments and rousing winning speeches, there were several memorable moments. 

Thousands of farmers marching towards Delhi say they are prepared for the long haul, carrying enough ration and diesel to last for months, as the borders have been sealed to prevent them from entering the national capital. The farmers are protesting over a series of demands, including a minimum support price (MSP) for their crops – a follow-up to their 2020 protest in which they had camped at the border points for 13 months.

Farmers say a test of patience won’t deter them from continuing their demonstration until their demands are met.

“From a needle to hammer, we have everything we need in our trolleys, including tools to break stones. We left our village with six months’ ration with us. We have enough diesel, even for our brothers from Haryana,” Harbhajan Singh, a farmer from Punjab’s Gurdaspur, headed to Delhi on his tractor, pulling two trollies loaded with supplies, told NDTV.

Read | “1 Km In 1 Hour”: Massive Jams Ahead Of Farmers’ March To Delhi

Farmers have been alleging that diesel is not being provided to them to thwart their march using tractors and trollies.

Mr Singh, who said he was part of the 2020 farmers’ protest, said they won’t withdraw this time until their demands are met.

“We didn’t budge through the 13 months last time. We were promised our demands will be met, but the government didn’t keep its promise. This time, we will leave only after all our demands are met,” he said, driving his tractor from the Punjab-Haryana border towards Delhi.

The farmers began their march this morning from Fatehgarh Sahib after late night talks with a government delegation in Chandigarh failed.

Read | What Are The Key Demands Of Farmers That Remain Unresolved?

Two Union ministers had met the farmer leaders in a last-ditch effort to prevent the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march, leading to an agreement on repealing the Electricity Act 2020, compensation to farmers killed in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri, and the withdrawal of cases against farmers during the farmers’ movement.

However, no consensus could be reached on three key demands, including enactment of a law to guarantee a MSP for all crops, farmer loan waiver and the implementation of Swaminathan Commission recommendations.

Arjun Munda, Minister for State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, said the government is committed to the welfare of farmers but they need to consult the states on some issues.

Delhi has been fortified to stop the farmers from entering the city, with key border points – Ghazipur, Tikri and Singhu – barricaded. Concrete blocks and nails have been placed on the roads to prevent tractors and trollies to cross into the city. The police have also imposed a month-long ban on public gatherings in the entire city.

Huge traffic jams have been reported from the border areas due to multiple diversions and police check-posts.