New Delhi, Aug. 9 -- Delhi is preparing to throw open its roads to the annual Kanwar Yatra, but for residents living along its routes, the pilgrimage is already becoming a familiar nightmare - a mix of blaring music, clogged roads and prolonged traffic disruption.

Saturday marks the start of the first large influx of devotees, with the peak movement expected to continue till August 11. For residents, the concern is not the pilgrimage itself, but the disruption that accompanies it, with the city's elaborate arrangements appearing more focused on facilitating the movement of pilgrims than enforcing rules against traffic violations and deafening sound systems.

The scale of preparations is striking. More than 15,000 security personnel have ...