Ranchi, July 20: Heavy traffic congestion brought large parts of Ranchi to a near standstill on Monday as persistent rainfall, multiple public protests, waterlogged roads and Rath Yatra festivities combined to trigger massive gridlock across the state capital, leaving thousands of commuters stranded for hours.
Vehicular movement slowed to a crawl on several major roads, with severe traffic snarls reported along the ITI Flyover–Kutchery stretch, Kantatoli–Dangratoli corridor, Main Road, Morabadi, and several other key intersections.
According to commuters, the situation worsened as forecasts of continued rainfall prompted many residents to opt for four-wheelers instead of two-wheelers, significantly increasing the number of vehicles on the roads.
“I was stuck at the same spot for over 20 minutes while travelling from the ITI Flyover to Circular Road. Whilst the city often faces traffic, today was particularly unbearable,” said commuter Amit Kumar.
Heavy rain also exposed potholes and caused waterlogging across several stretches, forcing motorists to slow down and navigate cautiously.
“Once the rain hits, you cannot tell where the tarmac ends and a massive pothole begins. Everyone is forced to drive at a snail’s pace because hitting one of these submerged craters can easily damage your vehicle or cause an accident,” said another commuter, Rajesh Verma.
The traffic situation deteriorated further during the evening after protesters blocked Albert Ekka Chowk, one of the city’s busiest intersections, coinciding with peak office hours.
“The disruption was particularly severe as the demonstration coincided with peak rush hour, compounding the strain on the city’s network as office-goers headed home,” said commuter Ankit Sharma.
Officials said the combined impact of rainfall, waterlogging, pothole-ridden roads, public demonstrations and ongoing Rath Yatra celebrations severely affected traffic movement across the city.
Traffic Superintendent of Police Rakesh Singh said additional personnel had been deployed and vehicle diversions were put in place to ease congestion.
“Our teams are managing the situation as best as they can by diverting routes and deploying extra traffic police personnel wherever needed,” Singh said.
Appealing to residents to cooperate, he added, “The city has limited infrastructure, and I appeal to the public to be judicious when stepping out onto the streets.”
Traffic movement gradually improved in some areas later in the evening, though congestion persisted at several key junctions due to the sustained rush of vehicles and slow-moving traffic.
