Kanwar Yatra 2026: Delhi-Meerut Expressway closure, Delhi-Haridwar highway restrictions; check alternate routes

Traffic advisories have been issued across Delhi-NCR ahead of the Kanwar Yatra, the annual pilgrimage undertaken by devotees of Lord Shiva, which will run from July 30 to August 11 this year. Delhi Police have ramped up security arrangements across the national capital.

The Kanwar Yatra, held during the auspicious month of Sawan, sees devotees carrying sacred Ganga water in pots and travelling long distances on foot to offer it at religious sites such as Haridwar, Gaumukh and Gangotri.

In a traffic advisory issued on Thursday (30 July), Delhi Police said vehicular movement is expected to be affected on several roads in the capital's western districts due to the movement of Kanwariyas and the installation of Kanwar camps.

The affected roads include Najafgarh Firni Road, Rohtak Road, Pankha Road, Dev Prakash Shastri Marg, Nangloi-Najafgarh Road and the Outer Ring Road.

Heavy vehicle restrictions in east Delhi

Delhi Police have announced restrictions on heavy vehicles and the closure of a key stretch of GT Road during the peak pilgrimage period.

According to the Delhi Traffic Police's Eastern Range advisory, the movement of Heavy Transport Vehicles (HTVs), except city buses, will remain restricted or diverted from 30 July to 12 August on GT Road between Apsara Border and Yamuna Bridge, Wazirabad Road from Bhopura Border to Signature Bridge, Vikas Marg, Asha Ram Tyagi Marg (Road No. 66), Pusta Road and Loni Road.

Heavy vehicles diverted under the traffic plan will be rerouted via designated alternate corridors, including NH-9 and NH-44, to ease congestion and ensure the smooth movement of Kanwar pilgrims.

The traffic police said GT Road, from Apsara Border to Yamuna Bridge, will remain closed to general traffic from 7 am on 9 August until 8 pm on 12 August to facilitate the peak movement of Kanwariyas.

The advisory also stated that the movement of Kanwariyas and Kanwar vehicles will not be permitted on the Delhi-Dehradun Expressway.

"Commuters have been advised to plan their journeys, use alternate routes wherever possible, allow extra travel time while passing through affected stretches, and follow directions issued by traffic personnel deployed on the ground," the advisory said.

Routes designated for pedestrian Kanwariyas

Delhi Police have also issued details of the routes designated for pedestrian Kanwariyas:

Rohtak Road: Zakhira → Madipur → Peeragarhi Chowk → Nangloi Chowk → Mundka → Tikri Border

Najafgarh Road: Zakhira → Uttam Nagar → Najafgarh Firni Road → Jharoda Border

Outer Ring Road: Madhuban Chowk → Peeragarhi Chowk → Keshopur Mandi → District Centre, Janakpuri

Traffic restrictions on Delhi-Haridwar national highway

Muzaffarnagar Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjay Kumar said heavy vehicles will be prohibited from using key routes in the district from July 30.

Officials told ANI that from August 4, all vehicular movement will be barred on the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway and the Ganga Canal Road in Muzaffarnagar.

Under the diversion plan, vehicles travelling from Haridwar and Saharanpur towards Delhi will be rerouted via Deoband, Pachenda, Mirapur and Mawana in Meerut before entering the national capital. Traffic travelling from Delhi will follow the same route in the reverse direction.

Authorities have advised travellers heading from Delhi to Haridwar and Dehradun to use the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor, where Kanwariyas will be discouraged from travelling.

Additional Director General of Police (Meerut Zone) Bhanu Bhaskar said ambulances and other emergency vehicles will be permitted through restricted stretches under police escort.

The Delhi-Meerut Expressway, a major link between the National Capital Region and western Uttar Pradesh, will remain shut from August 7 to 12.