Noida to Delhi route via Chilla border closed due to farmers' stir

NOIDA: One side of the Delhi-Noida Link Road was closed for commuters on Wednesday due to the ongoing protest by farmers at the Chilla border here amid heavy police deployment, officials said.

Barricades have been set up on the road, prohibiting vehicular movement from Noida to Delhi, while the other side (Delhi to Noida) was open, Noida Traffic Police officials said.

Also, traffic was diverted from the Dalit Prerna Sthal, another site of the farmers' protests, to the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyway in the wake of the situation at the Chilla border, an official said.

"The route was closed around 11 am. The DND and the Kalindi Kunj routes are operational and commuters are advised to take these routes for travelling to and fro Delhi," the official said.

The Chilla route had remained obstructed since December 1 when the protest started here.

One side of the road (Noida to Delhi) had remained closed during a large part of the period until December 12, when protesters agreed to open it for the sake of commuters but stayed put at the border.

However, a disagreement cropped up between splinter groups of farmer unions who opposed the move that led to a brief closure of the road on Tuesday as well, according to a BKU (Bhanu) protestor.

Farmers, chiefly belonging to the Bharatiya Kisan Union's Bhanu and Lok Shakti factions, are staging demonstrations at the Chilla border and the Dalit Prerna Sthal respectively to protest the three new farm laws brought by the Centre.

The protestors who have gathered at the Noida border want to proceed to Delhi to join the bigger stir called by farmers from Punjab and Haryana.

Thousands of farmers are currently staying put at Delhi's borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in protest against the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

They have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the "mercy" of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.

Government officials said efforts are being made for the next round of talks between representatives of the Centre and the farmers so that the logjam over the new laws could end.