Blockade affect: Ludhiana commuters stranded amid chaos, confusion

The affect of blockade on Thursday by farm unions at the Ladhowal-Jalandhar national highway near Phillaur against the death of a farmer at Khanouri created confusion near Sutlej bridge at the toll plaza with city residents having a hard time to move forward due to a massive jam ahead.

Commuters had to take longer routes to cross the toll plaza on Thursday due to the blockade from 11am to 1pm. The traffic police redirected vehicles, causing traffic jams after crossing the Sutlej bridge.

The traffic police from Salem Tabri and Ladhowal guided vehicles to other routes or told them to turn back due to the ongoing protest.

Jaspreet Singh, a commuter, said, “It’s common to face diversions during protests, but it’s causing a lot of problems for people. I had an interview at the immigration office, but my vehicle got stuck in traffic near Ladhowal toll plaza. Authorities should prevent road blockages.”

Naina, a passenger on a bus, said, “Our bus was stuck in traffic for two hours, and there are no facilities nearby. Many passengers had to walk to the nearest hotel to use the restroom. These protests are causing chaos and inconvenience to commuters. People need to reach their destinations, and these protests cause various problems.”

Saudhagar Singh of BKU (Ugrahan) said that the protest was in response to the death of a young farmer at the border and criticised the Central government’s policies and the recent attack on farmers.

Inspector Lovedeep Singh of Ladhowal police station said, “We redirected traffic from Salem Tabri and from Ladhowal toll plaza due to the protest at Phillaur, ensuring most vehicles found alternative routes. Moreover, the vehicles have taken a back turn and some of the vehicles chose to take the highway due to urgent commitments.”

Protest at Ladhowal toll plaza ends

BKU (Ugrahan), Kirti Kisan Union, SKM, and other farm unions concluded their protest at Ladhowal toll barrier on the seventh day on Thursday.

“Our protest at the toll barrier started on February 17 and ended today,” said Gurpreet Ugrahan, president of BKU (Ugrahan). SKM announced plans to protest in every district from Friday.