Ghaziabad: Traffic cops in the city reopened the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) on Monday, barely an hour after shutting down its entry and exit points. The closure, initially planned to facilitate kanwar pilgrims, particularly ‘Dak Kanwariyas‘, was lifted after authorities observed minimal pilgrim movement and emerging traffic bottlenecks.It was around 11.30am that the traffic cops blocked all entry and exit points of DME — Khoda, ABES College, Crossings Republik, Dasna, and Bhojpur, deploying two constables at each location. However, the expressway was reopened by 12.30pm after an assessment of the situation.“We observed very few kanwariyas on their vehicles in the DME section, while minor traffic congestion began developing at some entry and exit points. After analysing the situation, we decided to reopen the expressway,” said Ziauddin Ahmad, ACP (traffic).The temporary closure was part of the authorities’ preparations for ‘Dak Kanwar’, where pilgrims run barefoot in relay teams supported by vehicles. “We wanted to ensure a safe passage for ‘Dak Kanwariyas’, who primarily use the DME while returning from Haridwar. Our priority was to prevent any law and order situation,” Ahmad said.The ACP, however, didn’t rule out future closures. “We will continue monitoring the presence of pilgrims on the DME. The entry and exit points might be closed again by tonight or Tuesday, with only essential services like ambulances being permitted on the Ghaziabad stretch,” he added.The closure, which followed several changes in plans and missed deadlines of July 17 and 19, comes amid expectations of increased pilgrim movement ahead of Shivratri on July 23. Currently, light vehicles from Meerut are being diverted to Ghaziabad via the Hapur route and NH-9, while heavy vehicles, restricted since July 11, are being redirected from Ghazipur to NH-9 up to Dasna and then to the Eastern Peripheral Expressway towards Meerut.The annual kanwar yatra sees pilgrims utilising three main routes through Ghaziabad to reach Haridwar for collecting Ganga water. While traditional pilgrims mainly use the Pipeline Road from Loni Border to Niwari, ‘Dak Kanwariyas’ prefer the DME. A significant number also travel via NH-34 through GT Road, with these routes collectively covering 150km within Ghaziabad.
