(MENAFN- Live Mint) The capital city experienced another day of massive, bumper-to-bumper traffic jams in key areas as Delhiites flocked to marketplaces to celebrate the auspicious occasion of Dhanteras on Saturday, October 18.

Social media was once again flooded with netizens complaining of the never-ending traffic and congestion throughout the day.

Many shared pictures of vehicles crawling or standing still near Connaught Place, Rajpath, ITO, and key roads leading to Chandni Chowk, Karol Bagh, and Khan Market.

Surging crowds spilt onto nearby roads in markets across Delhi, including Chandni Chowk, Lajpat Nagar, Sarojini Nagar, and Karol Bagh. Traffic gridlocks stretched for kilometres, and travel times doubled as vehicles crawled through narrow lanes.

Heavy traffic at Andrews Ganj Ring Road

Delhi Traffic Police issued an advisory for Chandni Chowk and nearby markets from October 18 to 21 in view of the heavy festive rush expected during the period.

Also Read | Delhi traffic advisory for Diwali: Restrictions in Chandni Chowk from Oct 18–21 Traffic advisory

According to the advisory, a large number of visitors are expected to visit the area, resulting in heavy vehicular and pedestrian traffic. Special arrangements have been made to ensure smooth traffic flow, pedestrian safety and public convenience.

Traffic restrictions will remain in effect from 2 pm to 10 pm from October 18 to 21.

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The Delhi Traffic Police has directed its officers to actively monitor social media platforms and respond promptly to public complaints related to traffic congestion, signal malfunctions and vehicle breakdowns, officials said on Saturday.

“It has been observed that a significant number of complaints regarding traffic congestion, malfunctioning of traffic signals, and breakdown of vehicles are being reported on the social media platform X,” Special Commissioner of Police (Traffic Management, Zone-II) Ajay Chaudhry said in the order.

The initiative, he said, aims to strengthen the visibility and public trust in Delhi Traffic Police through faster grievance redressal on social media.

The order stated that the concerned traffic inspectors must respond to tagged complaints with a GPS-tagged photograph showing compliance.

The officers have been asked to monitor responses and ensure timely action in their respective jurisdictions, it added.

Also Read | AQI stays in 'poor' category for fifth day as Delhi prepares for Diwali

Delhi air quality remains 'poor' for 5th straight day

Delhi's air quality continued to deteriorate on Saturday, remaining in the "poor" category for the fifth consecutive day, with nine monitoring stations falling in the red zone of the "very poor" category as pollution levels spiked ahead of Diwali.

According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the national capital recorded an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 268 at 4 pm, placing it in the "poor" category.

Within the NCR region, Ghaziabad recorded a "very poor" AQI of 324, while Noida and Gurugram remained in the "poor" category with AQIs of 298 and 258, respectively.

Out of the 38 monitoring stations in the capital, nine reported air quality in the "very poor" category, with some locations inching towards the "severe” zone.

Anand Vihar recorded the highest AQI at 389, followed by Wazirpur (351), Bawana (309), Jahangirpuri (310), Okhla (303), Vivek Vihar (306), Dwarka (310), and Siri Fort (307), according to data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

(With PTI inputs)

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