Delhi border checks snarl traffic on Sunday amid pollution curbs

Heavy traffic jams hit several entry points into Delhi on Sunday, 1 November, as police and enforcement teams checked vehicles under the city's anti-pollution curbs. Thousands of communers trying to reach Delhi from Gurgaon were stuck for hours.

The worst congestion was at the Sirhaul border, where police set up multiple barricades to check whether vehicles complied with restrictions on which vehicles may enter the capital. The barricades slowed every type of vehicle, and the queues built up quickly.

The jams were made worse by a Rahul Gandhi rally held in Delhi that day. Buses carrying supporters to the rally were caught in the congestion at the borders. Heavy traffic was also reported along the Delhi-Gurugram and Delhi-Noida borders, where checks were carried out on vehicles entering the national capital.

The number of vehicles checked or turned back has not been given. Police have not said how long the checks will continue.

The checks are part of Delhi's anti-pollution measures, which restrict certain vehicles from entering the city. Enforcement is meant to make sure drivers follow those rules at the border.

It is not yet clear whether the checks will continue on other days or how the traffic will be managed in the coming days.