Madhya Marg choked, 15-min Panchkula-Chandigarh drive takes 2 hours

Commuters were left stranded for hours on Monday morning after heavy rain triggered severe waterlogging and snarl-ups on key roads of Chandigarh and Panchkula. The usual 15-minute drive between the two cities stretched to nearly two hours during the peak office hours.

Vehicles moved bumper to bumper along the 4–5 km stretch of the Madhya Marg connecting Panchkula with Chandigarh, with the snarl-ups lasting well beyond 11 am. The other route to reach Chandigarh via Hallomajra also saw about 2-km-long jam.

According to the Chandigarh Traffic Police, Jan Marg near the old Secretariat building in Sector 9 and roads in Sector 10 were the worst affected. Police personnel were regulating traffic on Madhya Marg, which carries the bulk of the morning rush between 8 am and 10 am.

In contrast, Panchkula residents expressed frustration over the absence of traffic regulation. Housing Board Chowk was gridlocked as Chandigarh-bound vehicles were left without the aid of functioning traffic lights or police presence. “From the Sector 7 roundabout to Housing Board, there was a massive jam. The roundabout is always a traffic mess. It’s high time authorities took it up seriously. Deploying police personnel during peak hours would certainly help,” remarked one commuter.

The problem of neglected infrastructure was also highlighted. “Traffic lights were installed at Sandeep Sagar Chowk, but they have never been switched on. Isn’t that a waste of taxpayers’ money?” a resident asked.

A Twitter user (@sensecivic77) wrote, “Despite being a regular and busy route to Chandigarh, traffic remains poorly managed at Shahid Major Sandeep Sagar Chowk. There is consistently no functional traffic signal, and no police personnel actively managing the traffic flow. Instead, there’s always someone stationed at the corner clicking photos of violations, while the actual traffic chaos goes unchecked. The situation urgently needs attention from the authorities.”

Sumit Nayar, who usually takes 25 minutes to reach from Sector 15 in Panchkula to Industrial Area, Phase II, Ram Darbar, was stranded on the road for more than two hours. “I left around 9:25 am and till 11:15 am, I could only reach till the railway crossing. Only after crossing Transport chowk, the traffic eased,” he said.

Daily commuter Partha Banerjee echoed these concerns: “Panchkula traffic problems are not new, but they have become a permanent headache. A simple 15-minute distance often takes 30 to 45 minutes due to daily jams. Roundabouts like Sector 7, 8, 17 and 18 are the worst.”

Mohit Gupta, who runs a resident’s group called Solution Box, called for urgent reforms. “The Sector 7/8 roundabout is always a mess. Authorities need to find a permanent solution. Regular deployment of traffic personnel during peak hours and activation of the already-installed traffic lights will certainly ease the chaos.”

SK Nayar, President, Citizens’ Welfare Association, Panchkula, added, “The traffic lights were stopped at that roundabout because 90 per cent of the traffic from Panchkula heads towards Housing Board in one single direction, which makes it unfeasible to maintain. I think the only solution is to deploy more traffic constable to regulate traffic and stricter actions to those who don’t listen to traffic officers.”