The people of Vizag and adjoining areas had a torrid time on Wednesday due to the high profile visit of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to the Sarada Peetham. The traffic was brought to a grinding halt for an hour throwing the civic life out of gear. It took considerable time for the traffic to clear. The people were put to great hardships due to the traffic snarls in several parts of the city.
Normally, the traffic is stopped for about 10 to 15 minutes when VIIPs come. But, in case of Jagan, the traffic was halted for hours and the shops in the vicinity where Jagan visited remained shut. Jagan landed at 11.55 AM at Vizag airport and offered prayers at the Sarada peetham. Again at 2.30 PM, traffic restrictions began claiming that CM was going to the airport.
As a result, NAD junction and the nearby areas were closed. As a result, the vehicles coming from Gajuwaka, National Highway, Shila Nagar, Araku were stopped. There were huge traffic jams in Pendurthi Junction, NAD junction and Shila Nagar. Several air travellers were seen going to the airport on foot to board their planes.
Also, the shops and business establishments for about two km in the Pendurthi-Vepagunta area were closed from the morning till 4 pm. The whole area was heavily barricaded making it difficult for the cars to negotiate their way on the road. The police, who guarded the area till 4 pm, suddenly disappeared, throwing the vehicular traffic to find their own way. “This is the problem we faced in one day. What if Vizag becomes the capital? We may have to put up this almost every day,” quipped a road user.