Sankranti celebrations have paralyzed the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway, turning a routine drive into an epic test of endurance. Thousands of vehicles are locked in gridlock, creating serpentine lines that snake through the Deccan plateau.
The exodus began at dawn, with migrant workers, students, and families racing against time to reach villages for the three-day festival. Key bottlenecks include the Narketpally and Choutuppal interchanges, where merging traffic has caused pile-ups. Bumper-to-bumper movement has frustrated drivers, many of whom packed coolers with mangoes, sugarcane, and sesame sweets for the journey.
‘It’s like a river of cars,’ observed traffic police officer Lakshmi Devi from a vantage point. Diversion points at Suryapet and Nalgonda are overwhelmed, forcing some to take longer inland roads. Fuel stations along the route report record sales, while dhabas serve hurried meals to stranded motorists.
This annual migration underscores Sankranti’s cultural pull. In Telugu states, the festival heralds the harvest season with rituals honoring farmers, cattle, and the sun god. Bonfires illuminate nights, kites dot the skies, and homes brim with ganga bath (holy dips) and kolam designs.
To ease the strain, the state transport department has added special trains and buses, but roads remain the preferred choice. Real-time advisories via WhatsApp groups and highway helplines are helping some navigate around jams. NHAI’s intelligent traffic systems are live, but sheer volume challenges even advanced tech.
As night falls, taillights stretch into infinity, a glowing testament to familial bonds stronger than any snarl-up. Revelers hope for smoother returns post-festival, but for now, the highway pulses with the heartbeat of Sankranti.
