City streets, markets reopenas police remove barricades

Prayagraj: City markets and streets on Friday wore a crowded look after cops removed barricades and barriers from the majority of city streets leading to Sangam. Cops had barricaded streets at 42 static points, including crossings and intersections, in view of Mauni Amavasya snan to regulate the flow of devotees under its crowd, traffic management schemes. Barriers were put in the city as well as trans-Ganga and trans-Yamuna pockets with the objective that the free flow of devotees towards the tent city could be regulated.
ACP (Kotwali) Manoj Kumar Singh told TOI that barricades were removed from Jonstonganj, Mercury Crossing, Nakhas Kohna, Jogavir and other areas after acknowledging that over 90 percent of the returning devotees were already sent to their native towns by trains and buses. He added, "Roads leading to Prayagraj Junction have also been opened for the public." Barricades were put on city streets on Tuesday to maintain one-side entry and exit of coming and returning devotees. Small lanes connecting to main streets were closed for past three days. However, on Friday, normalcy was restored, and all markets were open, said ACP. Moreover, markets in old city areas Jonstonganj, Ram Bhawan, Mercury Road, Hewett Road, Leader Road, Chowk, Bahadurganj, Kotwali also opened on Friday after a gap of two days.