Farmers of Noida and Greater Noida, marching towards Parliament, were on Thursday stopped by the UP Police at the Noida-Delhi Chilla border. Traffic was severely hit as the farmers started to march to protest against land acquisition policies.

Visuals showed long traffic jams on the Delhi-Noida expressway amid police barricades set up to check every vehicle entering the national capital.

Protesting farmers were also seen climbing the barricades put up by the police, leading to chaos and slow traffic. Some of the farmers who tried to scale the police barricades were pushed back by the cops, news agency ANI reported.

Since morning, there has been a massive traffic jam at the Delhi-Noida border, as a mega rally was announced by the farmers today, and the police had tightened the security at the borders.

Also Read: As farmers march towards Parliament, massive traffic snarls at Delhi-UP borders, security amped up

Several two-wheelers and four wheelers were struck in the jam at Sarita Vihar in the morning, and there was also a heavy traffic jam reported on the Delhi to Noida route.

The police have stepped up security in view of the protest and all the borders have been sealed for 24 hours.

“Section 144 has been imposed and all the borders have been sealed for 24 hours. Heavy security deployment at all borders. Arrangements have been made so that the people do not face any trouble. Security has been heightened. We are in talks with the farmers. All the vehicles are being checked,” DIG, Additional CP (Law and Order), Shivhari Meena said.

What is the farmers protest about?

Farmers in Noida and Greater Noida have been protesting since December 2023 with demands for hiked compensation and developed plots against their land acquired by the local development authorities in the past.

Also Read: Noida, Greater Noida farmers march towards Parliament over land compensation

In view of this, the farmers’ groups called for a ‘kisan mahapanchayat’ and a protest march to Parliament in the national capital on Thursday to meet their demands.

The police had imposed Section 144 on Tuesday, and said that the restrictions will be in effect on February 7 and 8. The restrictions include a ban on unlawful assembly of more than five people and unauthorised processions, including religious and political, according to the order.

The farmers were stopped by the police at the Noida Mahamaya flyover. The police have completely sealed the route from Noida to Delhi.

The police also issued an advisory for school buses, asking them not to use the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway to reach their destination (Chilla Border, Mahamaya Flyover Marg) due to the farmers’ protest. The buses can use the Hajipur underpass, Sector-93 underpass and use other internal routes of Noida, the police added.