Prayagraj, 10 Feb

Thousands of devotees heading to the Maha Kumbh in Prayagraj are facing extreme hardships as massive traffic jams, reportedly spanning up to 300 km, have left them stranded on highways.

The congestion, described as the world’s largest traffic jam, has resulted in hours of delays, with some vehicles stuck for up to 48 hours. Devotees say it is taking up to 12 hours to cover just 50 km on roads leading to Prayagraj from Varanasi, Lucknow, and Kanpur. A jam of 25 km was reported on these routes, while a seven-kilometre congestion was seen within the city itself.

The traffic chaos prompted police to stop vehicles in various districts of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday, exacerbating the situation. In response, the Prayagraj Sangam railway station was shut down to prevent further complications.

Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav strongly criticised the Uttar Pradesh government over the crisis, blaming tevere congestion for a shortage of essential commodities in Prayagraj.

He accused Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and his administration of failing to manage the situation, adding that the lack of oversight has worsened conditions for thousands of devotees, suffering due to the scarcity of food, water, and fuel. Yadav also pointed out that many ministers, including those from Prayagraj, were absent.

In a post on X, Yadav shared a video from stranded devotees, capturing their frustrations. He emphasised that the situation is dire, with people, especially women, unable to meet basic needs, and many losing contact with their families due to drained mobile batteries. Yadav called for a capable leader to take charge of the situation, criticising the “incompetence” of the current administration.