The traffic crawled or came to a complete stop along several thoroughfares after a few hundred ICDS (Integrated Child Development Service) workers blocked the Dorina crossing at Esplanade for close to an hour on Wednesday afternoon.
The protesters, all women, converged from different corners of the city and squatted at the crossing around 3pm, bringing vehicles from all directions to a halt.
Split into small groups, the protesters blocked both the flanks of Chowringhee Road, holding banners and flags. The protesters demanded that they be made permanent state government employees instead of contractual workers.
Traffic came to a complete stop on SN Banerjee Road and Chowringhee Road. Vehicles just about moved along Government Place East, RR Avenue, Lenin Sarani and Central Avenue.
“Buses and minibuses headed towards Park Street were diverted down BB Ganguly Street from Central Avenue towards Lalbazar Street, Old Court House Street and Mayo Road,” said a senior police officer. “Smaller vehicles were diverted towards Old Court House Street from Ganesh Chandra Avenue. Traffic slowed down along these thoroughfares owing to the sudden rise in the number of vehicles.”
Vehicles headed for SN Banerjee Road from Sealdah were diverted down AJC Bose Road towards the Exide crossing and then towards Mayo Road down Jawaharlal Nehru Road, the officer said.
Vehicles coming down the Red Road towards Central Avenue were made to move down Strand Road and Poddar Avenue.
“It took me over 35 minutes to reach Central Avenue from Red Road in the afternoon even though it’s less than a 10-minute drive,” said Sreeja Ghosh, a homemaker from Maniktala.
Several commuters, stranded on buses, minibuses and cabs got off and walked towards the nearest Metro station.
“Since a larger part of SN Banerjee Road was blocked with stationary vehicles, no diversion for south-bound vehicles from Central Avenue could be worked out down Nirmal Chunder Street,” the officer said.
The protesters initially refused to leave the Dorina crossing but later shifted to Y-channel nearby after senior police officers persuaded them to leave the main thoroughfare and allow vehicles to move. After several rounds of talks, they finally dispersed from the Y-channel after 4pm. It took much longer for the congestion to ease.