Raksha bandhan rush chokes Delhi-NCR as traffic stretches for miles

Raksha Bandhan traffic caused major congestion across Delhi-NCR on Thursday evening, with long queues reported on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway, NH-9 and key roads in Ghaziabad, including Lal Kuan and GT Road. Traffic also moved slowly near Noida's Botanical Garden Metro Station as festive travellers and office-goers crowded the roads.Traffic stretches to the horizon as Delhi-NCR reels under Rakhi rushThe Delhi-NCR region, including roads in Noida and Ghaziabad and several parts of the national capital, saw a sudden surge in traffic on Thursday evening, on the eve of Raksha Bandhan, as people headed home or travelled to meet relatives for the long weekend. At the same time, office-goers were returning home, adding to the evening rush.Traffic on the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) slowed at several points as the number of vehicles increased. Videos shot from high-rise residential societies near the expressway showed long queues of vehicles stretching along the roads.A major trouble spot was an exit on the DME, where an eight-lane stretch narrows down to just two lanes. As the eight-lane traffic merges into the narrower section near a turn, vehicles slow down, leading to long queues.EIGHT LANES SQUEEZE INTO TWOTraffic was also affected on NH-9, particularly between Dasna and the Mehrauli cut. With more people taking to the roads for Raksha Bandhan, vehicle movement remained slow on the stretch. Several other key roads and intersections in Ghaziabad were also affected, including Lal Kuan, GT Road, Ambedkar Road and Meerut Tiraha. Vehicles moved slowly at several locations as traffic pressure increased.The traffic police had already issued an advisory ahead of Raksha Bandhan. Teams were deployed on major routes and intersections to keep vehicles moving. At some locations, traffic was diverted to ease congestion, but the diversions also resulted in increased traffic on alternative routes. The Ghaziabad Traffic Police posted a video on Thursday night saying that both the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) were present on the spot to facilitate and ensure smooth traffic movement.KEY ROADS REMAIN CHOKED LATE INTO EVENINGDespite the traffic police efforts, several major roads in Ghaziabad continued to see slow-moving traffic late into the evening. The DME and NH-9 remained particularly affected, while traffic pressure was also visible on other key routes.There was heavy traffic on the road near Botanical Garden Metro Station, one of the key routes connecting Delhi and Noida.The Noida Traffic Police also issued an advisory, saying: “Traffic is moving slowly due to the heavy influx of pedestrians. Traffic personnel are ensuring the smooth movement of traffic.”The evening rush was driven by two factors: people travelling for Raksha Bandhan and office-goers heading home at the same time. On the DME, the bottleneck was particularly visible at the exit where eight lanes merge into two, creating a natural choke point.Traffic police teams continued working to manage the rush and ease congestion late into the evening.- EndsPublished By: Sayan GangulyPublished On: Aug 27, 2026 22:41 IST