Commuters slam NH-16 curbs for Giri Pradakshina, question why no holiday announced
Commuters in Visakhapatnam faced severe traffic gridlock during the annual Giri Pradakshina pilgrimage due to road closures and a lack of a public holiday. Residents criticized the administration for poor traffic management and the failure to anticipate the impact on arterial roads.
Why it matters
The incident highlights the tension between religious event management and urban mobility in densely populated Indian cities.
For the first time, the city witnessed unprecedented traffic congestion during the annual Giri Pradakshina of Sri Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy, with major arterial roads turning into hours-long gridlocks as lakhs of devotees participated in the pilgrimage on Tuesday night.
Many commuters questioned the decision to impose restrictions on Hanumanthawaka–Maddilapalem NH-16 stretch, describing it as one of the city’s most vital arterial roads. They pointed out that with the Beach Road corridor also under restrictions, travelling between the core city and Madhurawada became extremely difficult. Residents also wondered why the district administration had not declared a general holiday, if such large-scale traffic disruption was anticipated.
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