Hyderabad: The Hyderabad-Vijayawada national highway was teeming with vehicles on Sunday as thousands of families were heading to their native places for Sankranti, the biggest festival in both Telugu states.
Cars, buses and other transport vehicles queued up at toll plazas even as authorities have taken special measures to ease the congestion.
A huge rush was seen at Pattangi toll plaza near Hyderabad since early hours of Sunday, with people heading to towns and villages in Telangana and neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.
With a week-long holiday for educational institutions, thousands of families packed their bags to head home. With many opting for personal transport to reach their destinations in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the national highway was chock-a-block.
In view of the rush, authorities opened additional gates at Pattangi. Officials said the Fast Tag facility was ensuring smooth movement of vehicles through the toll plaza.
According to toll plaza staff, 70,000 vehicles headed towards Andhra Pradesh from Telangana from 6 p.m. on Saturday to 6 a.m. on Sunday. Officials expect the number to go up further on Sunday.
Vehicles were moving at a snail’s pace, with one-hour travel from Hyderabad to Patangi Toll Plaza in normal days taking 3-4 hours. A kilometre-long jam was seen at Patangi.
Patrolling vehicles, cranes and ambulances have also been deployed at Patangi, Korlapahad and Chillakallu plazas. Authorities have taken steps to ensure that the fast-tag system works expeditiously at the toll plaza.
A long traffic snarl was seen on the highway at Peddakaparthy and Chityala in Nalgonda district. The ongoing road construction work has added to the congestion.
Police have appealed to motorists to use an alternate route to Vijayawada via Bhongir. Top police officials, including Yadadri Bhuvanagiri Superintendent of Police, were supervising the movement of vehicles.
In Suryapet district, police are diverting traffic heading to Khammam and Rajahmundry through an alternate route.
Parts of Hyderabad and the outskirts witnessed a huge rush till late Saturday night. A huge traffic jam was seen at Nandigama in the NTR district of Andhra Pradesh, with thousands of vehicles from Hyderabad entering the state. Road construction work led to the jam at the Y Junction in Nandigama.
The Telangana government had urged Union Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari to allow toll-free movement on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway during the Sankranti festival season.
Roads and Buildings Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy had written a letter to Gadkari, seeking temporary toll-free movement on the highway during the Sankranti festival season from January 9 to January 18 to ease massive festive traffic.
He brought to the notice of the Union Minister that the highway witnesses a 200 per cent surge in traffic during the festive season.
The state minister held a review meeting recently with officials, directing them to ensure that there are no traffic problems for those travelling for Sankranti. He asked them to proceed with a proactive action plan, keeping past experiences in mind.
Meanwhile, railway and bus stations in Hyderabad were also packed with passengers heading to their destinations in both the Telugu states.
With the Sankranti holidays for all educational institutions beginning on Saturday, families were seen packing their bags to join their near and dear ones in their native places for the harvest festival to be celebrated on January 14.
Special trains and buses are being operated from Hyderabad to various places in both states to clear the rush. The number of travellers is likely to see a big jump over the next two days.
The Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TGSRTC) has announced that it will operate 6,431 special buses for those travelling to their hometowns. These buses will be operated on January 9, 10, 12, 13, 18 and 19 to various destinations within the state and neighbouring states like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Maharashtra.
TGSRTC has made special arrangements at MGBS and JBS stations in view of the festive rush. The officials have also provided facilities like a shamiana, chairs, and mobile toilets at other boarding points like LB Nagar, Uppal, Aram Ghar, KPHB, Bowenpally, and Gachibowli.
Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) is also operating 8,432 special buses. Of these, 6,000 buses, accounting for 71 per cent, would operate within Andhra Pradesh, while 2,432 services would be run on inter-State routes to Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Chennai.
Every year, an estimated 20 lakh people from Hyderabad and its surroundings visit their hometowns for Sankranti. The majority of them head towards the coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. On no other festival do people in such large numbers go home. It leaves the usually busy roads and intersections in Hyderabad rather deserted.
Sankranti offers an opportunity for people to revisit their roots. A large number of techies, students, government and private employees and also businessmen from coastal Andhra never miss the opportunity to visit their native places. Their children enjoy the holiday with a sense of the countryside. They celebrate the holiday by visiting the fields, flying kites, watching decorated bulls, cock-fights, bullock-cart races, and other rural sports that are organised on the occasion
(IANS)
