Delhi set to face traffic turmoil as farmers' protest takes center stage today

Delhi residents may face significant traffic disruptions today as farmers begin their march toward the capital. Security has been tightened at the Ambala-Delhi border, with barricades set up along key routes. The march, announced by farmers earlier, will commence from the Shambhu Border at 1 pm.

Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher highlighted the prolonged nature of the agitation, stating, "The march has entered its 297th day, and the indefinite hunger strike at the Khanauri border has reached its 11th day. At 1 pm, a group of 101 farmers will move towards Delhi from the Shambhu Border."

In a related development, 34 farmers were detained in Noida on Thursday while attempting to march toward the Rashtriya Dalit Prerna Sthal without official permission. Noida Police confirmed, "They were taken into custody and later sent to jail."


Government responds to farmers' protest
To address the ongoing agitation in Noida and Greater Noida, the Uttar Pradesh government has constituted a five-member committee led by IAS officer Anil Kumar Sagar, Principal Secretary of Infrastructure and Industrial Development. Other members include Piyush Verma, Sanjay Khatri, Somya Srivastava, and Kapil Singh.

This committee is tasked with reviewing the farmers’ demands and submitting its recommendations within one month. According to an official statement, the initiative underscores the government’s intent to find a systematic resolution to the crisis.

Farmers’ protest: Key demands
The farmers’ demands extend beyond a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP). These include:
- Compensation and debt waivers.
- Pension for farmers and agricultural laborers.
- Retaining the Land Acquisition Act, 2013.
- No hike in electricity tariffs.
- "Justice" for victims of the 2021 Lakhimpur Kheri violence.
- Compensation for families of farmers who lost their lives during protests in 2020-21.

This march is the latest in a series of events marking the farmers' ongoing struggle for policy changes and enhanced safeguards for agriculture.