National highway closed till August 8 for Kawad Yatra

Muzaffarnagar/Ghaziabad, Jul 31 (PTI) In a measure to ensure a smooth ''Kawad Yatra'', the Delhi-Haridwar national highway has been closed from today keeping in mind the huge rush during the event, officials said here. The highway to Haridwar via Mohan Nagar, Ghaziabad and Modinagar has been closed for eight days due to the rush of devotees.

Pilgrims have been allowed to pass via Ganga Canal road, they said. "The highway has been closed to prevent any untoward incidents," Muzaffarnagar District Magistrate Santish Kumar said.

The traffic from Delhi to Dehradun, Rishikesh, Haridwar and Roorki has been diverted to alternative routes from today. "All the traffic going to Meerut from Delhi will be diverted from National Highway 24 via Lal Kua, Pilakhuwa Hapur, Babugarh, Garhmukteshwar and Kithore," Ghaziabad Senior Superintendent Police Raghubir Lal said.

"All the vehicles going to Haridwar from Delhi will come to Meerut via this route and will proceed via Bijnore and Najibabad. Heavy vehicles will not be allowed to ply on closed road from this evening," he added.

The highway has been closed till August 8. The security has also been tightened along the route.

CCTV cameras have been installed and policemen in kawad dress have also been deployed along the route. Meanwhile, officials said that they will keep be a strict watch on temples and roads, inside and outside the city area of the districts.

All eduational institutions along the Kawad yatra route will remain closed till August 8. Kawad pilgrims or Lord Shiva devotees who call themselves ''kanwariyas'' gather at Haridwar to take a dip and carry water to offer it to Lord Shiva on August 8.

Posted in: National News