Traffic restrictions in CR Park due to VVIP movement today

According to traffic officials familiar with the matter, the cordon will begin around 6.30pm and remain in force for about an hour.

Authorities in Delhi have announced sweeping traffic restrictions in and around Chittaranjan Park (CR Park) on Tuesday evening, citing “VVIP movement” during the peak of Durga Puja festivities. Officials said the measures are likely linked to visits at the iconic Kali Mandir, one of south Delhi’s busiest puja venues.

Durga Puja celebrations at the Cooperative Ground Durga Puja Samiti, CR Park on Sunday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

According to traffic officials familiar with the matter, the cordon will begin around 6.30 pm and remain in force for about an hour. “There will be minor inconvenience from 6-7 pm as vehicles won’t be allowed to ply the same route,” said a senior officer.

While police have not issued a detailed press briefing, officials from Delhi Police and Traffic Police confirmed that barricades will be placed inside and around Kali Mandir to separate VVIPs from the general public. “This will be a temporary measure, but traffic volume will be high across key stretches,” an officer said.

Commuters have been warned to expect congestion along Outer Ring Road (from Panchsheel to Greater Kailash), Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg, JB Tito Marg, Inder Mohan Bhardwaj Marg and CR Park Main Road. Vehicles will be barred from Gurudwara Road, Bipin Chandra Pal Marg and several internal lanes of CR Park and GK-II. Diversions will be in place at Panchsheel, IIT and Nehru Place flyovers, with alternate routes advised via MG Road, Aurobindo Marg, Mathura Road, Lala Lajpat Rai Road and Mehrauli-Badarpur Road.

In parallel, the CR Park Kali Mandir Puja Committee has issued its own advisory. “Due to restrictions placed by security agencies… all devotees carrying handbags, purses and laptop bags etc have to enter from the main gate where a screening machine has been installed,” the message read.

The Kali Mandir complex, considered the cultural heart of CR Park, has already seen swelling crowds since Sunday. With major puja arenas barricaded off and heavy footfall expected, residents have warned of gridlock in surrounding neighbourhoods. The temporary VVIP cordon is likely to heighten congestion, police admitted, but insisted the measures were necessary given the importance of security requirements at this time of the year.