Protests by factory workers demanding a hike in wages turned violent in parts of Noida on Monday, with incidents of arson, vandalism and stone-pelting reported from Phase-2 and Sector 60 areas.
According to a PTI report, large numbers of workers from various industrial units gathered to press their long-pending demand for salary revision and raised slogans during the demonstration. The protest escalated as some participants allegedly vandalised property, pelted stones and set a vehicle on fire, causing damage to vehicles and severe inconvenience to commuters stuck in traffic congestion across the affected industrial zones.
Adequate police deployment was ensured across industrial areas under the Gautam Buddh Nagar Commissionerate, officials said, adding that senior police and administrative officers were present on the ground to monitor the situation. “The situation is under control and being kept under continuous surveillance. Efforts are being made to counsel the workers and maintain peace. Minimum force is being used wherever necessary to maintain law and order,” police said in a statement, as per PTI.
Authorities also appealed to the public not to pay heed to rumours and assured that normalcy was being restored in the affected areas.
Following the unrest, Delhi Police was placed on high alert after the protest spilled into heightened security concerns along the national capital’s borders, PTI reported. Police said a large number of workers from industrial units gathered near border areas, prompting authorities to tighten security at key entry points into Delhi.
They said several teams were deployed at all motorable roads connecting Noida to Delhi, particularly at major border points with Uttar Pradesh, to prevent any spillover of unrest. Senior officers said strict vigil was being maintained and thorough checking of vehicles was being carried out to ensure that no anti-social elements entered the capital under the guise of the protest. “Delhi Police is fully alert and vigilant. Adequate force has been deployed at all strategic locations. No one will be allowed to breach law and order,” a senior police officer said to the news agency.
Barricading was intensified at key border points, with additional personnel, including rapid response teams and paramilitary forces, deployed to respond swiftly to any untoward incident. Police said they were monitoring the situation and in touch with their Uttar Pradesh counterparts.
The violence led to massive traffic disruption at the Delhi-Noida border, leaving several thousand commuters stranded in long jams across key entry routes into the national capital. Commuters faced severe inconvenience as vehicular movement came to a near standstill during the morning rush hour.
The protest, which began early in the day, triggered congestion on key arterial roads connecting Delhi and Noida, including NH-9, severely disrupting office traffic. Long queues of vehicles stretched for several kilometres, with many commuters stranded for hours as traffic movement stalled almost completely in several stretches.
Frustrated commuters took to social media platform X, urging authorities to intervene and clear the roads. Many complained of being stuck in unmoving traffic despite leaving early to avoid peak-hour congestion.
An employee of a private company said she left home at around 7:30 am but remained stuck for over an hour without movement. “There is no movement at all. People are getting down from vehicles and trying to figure out what’s happening ahead,” she said.
Authorities said efforts were underway to clear congestion and restore smooth traffic flow as soon as possible.
(With PTI inputs)