WARANGAL: Traffic came to a standstill between Mulugu and Pasra on NH 163 from Tuesday night to Wednesday afternoon, making it difficult for devotees to proceed towards Medaram. The road was blocked with vehicles going towards and coming from Medaram.
The police had a hard time diverting the traffic to the holding points and letting smaller vehicles move on. Since things did not get better for the waiting devotees till Wednesday, many were disappointed at not being able to make it in time for the welcoming ceremony and blamed the authorities for incompetence in traffic organisation. This is the first time such a traffic jam has taken place during the Medaram jatara.
All manner of vehicles were at a standstill for several kilometres. Some devotees started cooking their meals on the roadside, slaughtering goats and hens.
“The officials who had promised us good service failed to deliver. We have been struck in traffic for four hours. The women and children suffered due to lack of food and toilets,” said a devotee.
Deputy Chief Minister Kadiam Srihari, who travelled to Medaram on Wednesday afternoon, said he did not find any traffic issues on the way. He said due to the large number of vehicles arriving in Medaram there is delay in the movement of vehicles. “At the vehicle counting office set up at Gattamma temple in Mulugu, it is recorded that 1,000 vehicles are moving per hour. We have cleared the traffic and additional personnel were deployed in problematic areas to ensure faster movement of vehicles,” he said.
