BHOPAL: With the huge rush of devotees bound for the ongoing Mahakumbh in Prayagraj causing massive and long traffic jams in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh, CM Mohan Yadav has urged pilgrims to avoid travelling towards Prayagraj for the next couple of days.
“There is traffic pressure in areas of the state adjoining Prayagraj, especially in Rewanchal (places surrounding Rewa district) region, as people have travelled from other states. I am requesting everyone not to move ahead on this road for the next couple of days,” Yadav urged the pilgrims travelling through Madhya Pradesh to Mahakumbh on Monday.
The condition of traffic on highways connecting southern and western parts of the country with Prayagraj (UP), has worsened in Madhya Pradesh over the last 48 hours.
Heavy traffic jams spanning up to 50-100 km have been reported in parts of MP, particularly the Rewa district of MP’s Vindhya region, which borders Prayagraj.
Not just the main Chak Ghat highway (which connects Rewa with Prayagraj), but also the Shankargarh area of Prayagraj situated on the other border with Rewa district that reported traffic jams on February 9.
“Though the traffic jam has eased a bit since Monday evening, with another big bathing festival scheduled on Magh Purnima (Wednesday), the condition is bound to worsen in the next two days again,” a police officer in Rewa district told TNIE.
Stuck on the border of Rewa and Prayagraj districts for long time due to the massive traffic jam, Satna (MP) based businessman Sonu Singh said, “In normal days we would have taken a maximum of five hours to reach Prayagraj from Satna district, but owing to the traffic jam, we reached Prayagraj in 15 hours.”
Dr Amitabh Kumar, a doctor who accompanied his brother’s family from Bhopal to Prayagraj had to park his vehicle outside Shankargarh railway station of Prayagraj due to the traffic jam and take Kumbh Mela special train to Naini (Prayagraj), which took 3.5 hours to reach Naini compared to the normal running town of maximum one hour taken by other trains.
The traffic jams haven’t just been caused in Rewa district, but also in some other districts, lying on MP’s route to Prayagraj, including Jabalpur, Seoni, Katni, Maihar and Satna.
In Katni district, visuals of police sub-inspector Rahul Pandey, announced a problematic traffic situation over a public announcement system in Rewa district, appealed Mahakumbh-bound pilgrims to rethink and postpone their visit.
“Keeping in mind the traffic jams 300 km away, I appeal to all those pilgrims on their way to Prayagraj in various vehicles to rethink their travel plan and postpone their visit for some days. Please enjoy your stay in tourist places elsewhere in MP and then re-plan your visit to Prayagraj some days later,” Pandey was seen appealing in a viral video.