Medaram traffic chaos strands devotees for 12 hours
MEDARAM: Devotees returning from Medaram were stranded on the roads for up to 12 hours after traffic came to a standstill, stretching nearly 15 km on key routes during the ongoing Medaram Jatara.
Vehicles neither moved forward nor could turn back, leaving thousands trapped from Friday afternoon till Saturday noon. Many devotees suffered without food or water, while some got down from buses midway and walked several kilometres to escape the gridlock.
VIP vehicles blamed for traffic breakdown
Passengers alleged that traffic management collapsed due to the unrestricted movement of VIP and VVIP vehicles. Though police and Telangana State Road Transport Corporation officials had held meetings nearly 20 days before the Jatara and suggested allowing only RTC buses between Tadwai and Medaram, the plan was not implemented, they said.
Allowing VIP and VVIP vehicles on the same stretch worsened congestion, leading to chaos. In some places, angry devotees damaged private vehicles.
15 km stretch blocked for hours
On the Pasra–Tadwai main road, RTC buses were stranded for six to seven hours over a 15 km stretch. Traffic eased only after 11 am on Saturday.
Four lakh devotees ferried in two days
With devotees beginning their return journey from Friday afternoon, RTC officials said nearly 4 lakh passengers were transported in around 4,000 buses over two days.
Buses heading towards Tadwai were diverted via Narlapur and Chintal to Pasra, allowing smoother onward travel on different routes. Officials said return traffic has since been moving without major issues.
Angered by the prolonged standstill between Friday and Saturday morning, passengers criticised official negligence. Following the situation, Sunpreet Singh, Warangal Police Commissioner and Jatara traffic in-charge, personally monitored traffic regulation on the ground. He visited the command control room at Medaram and coordinated with RTC officials to divert buses and clear congestion.
