India will celebrate the 74th Republic Day on Thursday (26 January). The celebrations will commence on Monday (23 January) and will culminate next Monday (30 January). It is also the period when threat of extremism remains high and authorities undertake elaborate security arrangements, especially in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and in States and Union Territories sharing International borders. This year, authorities are likely to practice extra caution as India is also holding the G20 Presidency.

The risk of sporadic demonstrations and protests, similar to that of the farmers’ tractor rally held in Delhi on 26 January 2021, cannot be ruled out. Traffic restrictions and
security measures by the authorities would impact employee commute and result in supply chain disruptions.

Major Risks

Special Traffic Arrangements

Delhi

• Celebration location – Kartavyapath, Delhi
• Traffic restrictions –
  • 1030 hours onwards on Monday (23 January) for full dress rehearsal and on 1015 to 1230 hours (subject to change) on Thursday (26 January).
  • 1100 to 2100 hours on Monday (23 January) and Tuesday (24 January) for Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance Programme at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium.
• Parade Route – Vijay Chowk to Red Fort via Kartavyapath – C Hexagon – R/A Statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose – Tilak Marg – Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg – Netaji Subhash Marg.
• Closed to traffic –
  • No vehicles on Kartavyapath between Vijay Chowk and India Gate on the days and time.
  • Kartavyapath-Rafi Marg, Kartavyapath-Janpath, Kartavyapath- -Mansingh Road & Kartavyapath-Hexagon.
• Alternative routes –
  • North – South
    • Ring Road-Ashram Chowk-Sarai Kale Khan-I.P flyover-Rajghat-Ring Road.
    • Madarsa-Lodhi Road T point-Aurobindo Marg-AIIMS Chowk-Ring Road Dhaula Kuan-Vandematram Marg-Shankar Road-Park Street.
  • East – West
    • Ring Road-Bhairon Road-Mathura Road-Lodhi Road-Aurobindo Marg-AIIMS Chowk-Ring Road-Dhaula Kuan-Vandematram Marg-Shankar Road-Park Street.
    • Ring Road-Boulevard Road-Barf Khana Chowk-Rani Jhansi flyover-Faiz Road Vande Matram Marg-R/A Shankar Road.
    • Ring Road-ISBT-Changdi Ram Akhara-I.P College-Mall Road-Azadpur-Punjabi Bagh.
  • South – Connaught Place / Central Secretariat
    • Mother Teresa Crescent – Park Street – Mandir Marg Bagh.
    • Punjabi Bagh.
• Diversion points for Military Tattoo and Tribal Dance Programme –
  • Bhisham Pitamah Marg from Lodhi Road to Andrews Ganj Flyover, Maharishi Raman Marg, Shubramaniam Bharti Marg, Lodhi Road, Max Muller Marg, Arch Bishop Marg, and Lala Lajpat Rai Marg.
• Airspace restriction for Delhi – Flights will not be allowed to take off or land from 0830 hours to 1300 hours and from 1500 hours to 1800 hours on Thursday (26 January).
• Boarding-deboarding at Kendriya Sachivalaya and Udyog Bhawan Metro stations are not allowed until 1200 hours on Monday (23 January). Similar restrictions remain likely on Thursday (26 January) as well.

Haryana

• Location to be affected – Gurugram
• Traffic restrictions –
  • Medium and heavy goods vehicles entering Gurugram (and onwards to Delhi) between 2130 hours on Sunday (22 January) and 1330 hours on Monday (23rd January); and between 2130 hours on Wednesday (25 January) and 1330 hours on Thursday (26 January) would be diverted at Pachgaon (outbound from Jaipur) on KMP expressway.
• Closed to traffic –
  • Commercial heavy goods vehicles will not be allowed to enter Delhi from Najafgarh Bajghera Border, Hanuman Chowk, and Givo Cut before Kherki Toll Plaza.
• Diversions-
  • From Gurugram Local Area, heavy vehicles will be diverted at various points such as Hero Honda Chowk, Mehrauli Border, Shankar Chowk, Sohna, Pataudi, and Farukhnagar.
  • Heavy vehicles from Jaipur side on NH48 will be diverted at Pachgaon on KMP Expressway.

Uttar Pradesh

• Locations to be affected – Lucknow, Noida and Ghaziabad
• Parade Route in Lucknow – Bal Sanghralaya at Charbagh and will pass through Station Road, Hussainganj, Burlington Crossing, Vidhan Sabha and Hazratganj before culminating at KD Singh Babu Stadium.
• Traffic restrictions –
  • Lucknow – The Parade route will be closed to traffic from 0800 hours on Tuesday (24 January) and Thursday (26 January). Certain restrictions imposed on Wednesday (25 January) as well.
  • Noida and Ghaziabad – Medium and heavy goods vehicles restricted entry into Delhi from Noida and Ghaziabad between 2200 hours on Sunday (22 January) and 1330 hours on Monday (23 January) ; and between 2200 hours on Wednesday (25 January) and 1330 hours on Thursday (26 January) through UP Gate, Maharajpur, Seemapuri, Bhopura Border & Loni Border.
• Closed to traffic (Lucknow) –
  • Alambagh and Mawaiya to Charbagh, towards Ravindralay (Bal Vidya Mandir) from La Touche Road.
  • Mohan Hotel Trisection towards KKC AP Sen Road.
  • K.K.C towards Charbagh Ravindralaya and Rana Pratap Crossing at Hussainganj; Hewett Road Intersection and Rana Pratap intersection will be closed.
  • Udayganj and Sichai Bhawan towards Annexe and Hussainganj Crossing; Lal Bahadur Shastri trisection towards Vidhan Sabha (Only vehicles with passes will be allowed to the Secretariat from the back entrance).
  • The Vidhan Sabha Marg from Hazratganj Crossing to Rayal Hotel (Bapu Bhavan) crossing from 1400 hours on Wednesday (25 January). Further, the stretch will be completely sealed from 1600 hours on Wednesday (25 January).
  • Towards Mayfair and Parivartan Chowk intersection from 1400 hours onwards on Wednesday (25 January).
• Parade Route – Vijay Chowk to Red Fort via Kartavyapath – C Hexagon – R/A Statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose – Tilak Marg – Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg – Netaji Subhash Marg.
• Diversions –
  • Diversion points – Kaiserbagh or Charbagh trisection, Ravindralay to Mavaiya via Alambagh, Loco Square, Kunwar Jagdish, Alambagh or Sadar Cantt, Abdul Hameed Square, Lalbatti, Bandariyabagh, Golf Club and Gandhisetu (1090), Ashok Marg to Meerabai Marg, Sapru Marg Tiraha and Sikandarbagh intersection to Sankalp Vatika Tiraha, Sushila Smritika, Baikunthdham, Balu Adda, Chauraha, Jiamau, Hanuman Setu and Subhash Chauraha to Clark Avadh trisection.
  • Traffic to be restricted between Novelty (Lalbagh) intersection and Capital Trisection. Only vehicles with passes will be allowed to ply on Novelty (Lalbagh) Square-Janpath Road.

West Bengal

• Location to be affected – Red Road, Kolkata
• Traffic restrictions – Tuesday (24 January); 0400 – 0900 hours (subject to change) on Thursday (26 January).
• Closed to traffic –
  • Red Road, Hospital Road (East & West), Lovers Lane, Queensway, Casuarina Avenue, Plassey Gate Road, Khidderpore Road, R.R. Avenue.
• Likely diversions –
  • BBD Bagh bound –
    • Those along Alipore Road and Belvedere Road via Zeerut Bridge – D.L. Khan Road – AJC Bose Road will be diverted along AJC Bose; Road – St. Georges Gate Road – Strand Road – Khudiram Bose Road – Government Place (West) and onwards.
    • Those along Harish Mukherjee Road diverted via Cathedral Road – J.L. Nehru Road – Guru Nanak Sarani and onwards.
  • South bound –
    • From Howrah, diverted through Esplanade Row (East) – R.R. Avenue – J.L. Nehru Road – Mayo Road – Dufferin Road – Outram Road – Kingsway and onwards.

Maharashtra

• Location to be affected – Shivaji Park, Mumbai
• Restrictions – 0600 to 1200 hours on Thursday (26 January).
• Close to traffic –
  • Keluskar Road stretch from NC Kelkar Road – Jamsetji Road junctions ;
  • SVS Marg from Siddhivinayak temple junction – Hinduja Hospital ;
  • SVS Marg from Mahim Junction up to Siddhivinayak temple junction ;
  • Takandas Kataria Road from L.J. Road – Hinduja Hospital.
• Roads that would allow one-way traffic –
  • Keluskar Road (South) from Veer-Savarkar Road – Keluskar Road (North) junctions [and vice versa] ;
  • S.K. Bole Road from Siddhivinayak Temple Junction till Hanuman Temple.
• No Parking on the aforementioned routes and adjacent areas.

Telangana

• Location to be affected – Hyderabad
• Traffic restrictions – 0900 to 1200 hours on Thursday (26 January).
• Likely diversions –
  • Traffic coming from MJ Market, Mehdipatman diverted Taj Island towards Ek Minar – Red Hills – Ayodhya Hotel;
  • Nampally railway station, Public Gardens diverted at Chapel Road (T Junction) towards Gunfoundry – BJR Statue – Basheerbagh flyover;
  • Hyderguda, King Koti and BJR Statue – PCR, Public Gardens diverted at Basheerbagh Junction towards Liberty, Telegu Thalli, Saifabad Police Street, etc.

Tamil Nadu

• Locations to be affected – Kamarajar Salai and Marina Beach, Chennai
• Traffic restrictions – Tuesday (24 January) and Thursday (26 January).
• Closed to traffic –
  • Vehicles not allowed on Kamrajar Salai between Gandhi Statue and War Memorial during the aforementioned days and time.
  • Likely restrictions to be imposed near Marina Beach.
• Diversions-
  • Onwards Broadway on Kamarajar Salai diverted towards Radhakrishnan Road at Gandhi Statue Junction.
  • Towards Kamarajar Salai via Dr. Natesan Road and Avvai Shanmugam Road Junction diverted towards Ice-House.
  • Towards Kamarajar Salai via Dr. Besant Road diverted towards Ice-House at Besant Road Roundabout.
  • Towards Adyar from Barimuna via Kamarajar Salai diverted to Raja Annamali Mandal – Walaja Point – Anna Salai – JP Road – Rayapetta Manigundu – Reserve Bank Subway.
• Goods and commercial vehicles plying towards Broadway on Kamarajar Salai from Adyar can travel via Greenways Junction to RK Madama Road, Iyer Road, Devanathan Road, St. Mary’s Road, Ramakrishna Road, Luz Junction, Luz Church Road, Anna Road.

Impact

• Localized disruptions in the form of congestion, diversions, and blockades remain likely, due to the special traffic arrangements in place.
• Demonstrations over pending grievances by farmers’ group, trade unions or the Wrestling Federation cannot be ruled out, especially in Delhi (Near Jantar Mantar, Jama Masjid, and Red Fort area).
• Traffic would face severe disruptions on Thursday (26 January) and on the days leading up to the event, with major roads such as Janpath and Mansingh Road in Delhi, Red Road in Kolkata and Shivaji Park in Mumbai being closed to regular traffic.
• Surge in traffic is anticipated as people may plan for travel over the long weekends (28-29 January) following the public holiday on Republic Day. Longer waiting lines and congestion remain likely at transportation hubs (airports, railway stations, busstands) and along highways until Sunday (29 January).
• Scheduled flights and railway services may get rescheduled or cancelled.
• Due to rise in extremist activities, areas of Jammu & Kashmir (Poonch, Jammu, Kathua, and Samba), northeast India and Central India (Red Corridor area) will witness enhanced security checks at polls, airports, check-posts along highways, etc. that may cause congestion and travel delays.
• As e-commerce sites tend to offer high discounts on the occasion of Republic Day celebrations, the risk of cyber security breaches increases.
• In Gurugram, Section 144 of the CrPC has been imposed till Thursday (26 January)to curb activities of ant-social elements, ensure stricter compliances for hotels and other businesses, and to prohibit flying of drones, Chinese microlight aircrafts, gliders, and hot-air balloons. Similar restrictions remain likely in other cities as well.
• Heightened security deployments and surveillance remain likely in the vicinity of transit hubs such as airports and railway stations, places of public interests, places of mass gathering and government offices.
• Public transportation is likely ply in limited numbers and commuters may have to pay surcharge rates.

Recommendations

• Commuters are advised to avoid popular protest sites and areas of public gathering such as Jantar Mantar and Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, BKC Grounds in Mumbai, Maidan in Kolkata, and Freedom Park in Bengaluru.
• MitKat advises to maintain due diligence and carry an emergency kit comprising of emergency contacts, Identification proofs, cash, mobile phone and charger, and water bottle while traveling to sensitive areas like Jammu & Kashmir, Northeast and Central India.
• It is recommended that offices and working places adhere to government directives and plan operations accordingly.
• Given that banks remain closed on Republic Day, it is advised to complete emergency banking works or transactions before 26 January.
• As airports are likely to follow elaborate security arrangements, travelers are advised to reach airports well in advance (three hours in prior for inbound travel and four hours for international travel).
• Organisations are advised to undertake flexible working arrangements and have a contingency plan ready for any possible emergency situation throughout the tenure of the celebrations till Monday (30 January).
• Advised to adhere to local security regulations, including bans of flying UAVs (drones), congregating in certain spots, and carrying items flagged as security risks such as certain types of electronic items.
• Ensure personal safety and maintain caution while traveling in public transport or while at public places and report suspicious activities or unclaimed items to relevant authorities.
• It is recommended to check regular updates from the concerned city police’s Twitter handles to maintain awareness of all current restrictions, traffic disruptions, reroutes and other possible directives –
  • Delhi:@DelhiPolice, @dtptraffic
  • Gurugram: @GurugramPolice, @TrafficGGM
  • Noida:@noidatraffic
  • Chandigarh:@ChdPol , @trafficchd
  • Mumbai:@MumbaiPolice , @MTPHereToHelp
  • Pune:@PuneCityTraffic
  • Bengaluru: @BlrCityPolice , @blrcitytraffic
  • Kolkata:@KolkataPolice , @KPTrafficDept
  • Chennai:@chennaipolice_, @ChennaiTraffic
  • Ahmedabad:@AhmedabadPolice , @PoliceAhmedabad