NEW DELHI: Weddings are bringing the capital to a halt, literally. With over 50,000 wedding planned in December, Delhi has its streets jammed and thoroughfares gridlocked. And police officials expect the matter to get worst in the next few days with heavy traffic hitting the areas around south, west and outer Delhi. Now, they have given a list of suggestions to wedding planners and drivers to reduce the traffic mess.

With many weddings scheduled for Monday, traffic movement was affected in Chhatarpur, Vasundhra Enclave, Mukarba Chowk, Peera Garhi, parts of Rohini, and on the road from Lajpat Nagar to Ashram, among other areas. The traffic on the Mahipalpur-Gurgaon road, too, was moving at a slow pace. Traffic police, however, said the jams did not last long, slowing down but not halting the traffic.

A shot at the wedding

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"Illegal parking will invite prosecution. And the vehicles not parked properly will be towed away with a fine of Rs 600, excluding towing charges, for wrong parking and disobedience of lawful instructions," said a senior police official.

Meanwhile, wedding shoppers thronged major markets, including Karol Bagh, South Extension and Lajpat Nagar, leading to snarls in the surrounding areas. Traffic police said farmhouses have been told to arrange for parking on its premises, and the guests not to occupy the roads leading to the venue. "We discourage wedding planners to walk the procession to the venue," said a senior traffic official. He said they usually advise the organisers to escort the groom to the wedding hall in a car.

Police said adequate deployment has been made in key areas to control traffic and the wedding planners have been asked to use one lane for walking. Police have also been tasked to remove curious onlookers who block the roads.

On an average, by evening over 10 lakh vehicles ply through major routes in the capital and a single procession on a major road is enough to stall a section in the city at any point of time.

Moreover, drivers often lose patience and try to take alternative routes through colonies leading to gridlocks which are difficult to clear. A traffic policeman explained that the major cause of such congestions are the diversions that the wedding planners implement without consulting them.

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