Noida, July 16 -- Traffic movement slowed to a crawl near Kalindi Kunj on Tuesday after traffic police shut two of the four lanes on the Kalindi Kunj bridge-from Okhla Barrage to Okhla Bird Sanctuary-to facilitate Kanwar pilgrim movement. The restrictions, in place till July 23, have been imposed in view of the ongoing Shiv Kanwar Yatra, during which thousands of devotees walk towards Delhi, Gurugram, and Faridabad. Deputy commissioner of police (Traffic), Noida, Lakhan Singh Yadav, said, "The traffic restrictions at Kalindi Kunj have been implemented in coordination with the Delhi Traffic Police," adding that personnel have been deployed at key junctions like Okhla Bird Sanctuary and Chilla Border. Thousands of pilgrims currently use the Okhla route daily, and numbers are expected to rise from Wednesday, officials added. To avoid snarls, commuters have been advised to opt for the DND Flyway or use Delhi Metro services during rush hours, traffic officials said. From the Noida side, 300 traffic officials have been deployed on the route during peak hours, while Delhi has deployed 1000 officers to control traffic flow (on all 13 Kanwar routes in the city), they added. To be sure, Kalindi Kunj is a critical link for thousands of commuters travelling daily between south Delhi and Noida as well as Faridabad. The arterial road sees heavy peak-hour traffic, serving as an alternative to the DND Flyway, especially for those coming from Jamia Nagar, Kalkaji, CR Park, Greater Kailash II, Shaheen Bagh, and Sarita Vihar towards sectors 37 to 62 in Noida. With a four-lane carriageway divided by a central verge, the complete closure of the Noida-bound lanes has severely impacted morning traffic flow, officials added. Despite the advisory, congestion at the Kalindi Kunj crossing was severe, especially on the stretch towards Shaheen Bagh. "Traffic gets worse every year during the Kanwar Yatra. The police should find an alternative," said Vikas Kumar, a regular Delhi-Noida commuter. Vandana Mishra, who travels to her Delhi office daily via Kalindi Kunj, said, "The barricades are adding 20-30 minutes to my commute. Despite growing traffic, police repeat the same strategy every year without change." Authorities said the temporary restrictions are aimed at ensuring safe passage for pilgrims while maintaining traffic flow for vehicles....