Ghaziabad/Noida, Aug. 11 -- With access to parts of key routes in Ghaziabad and Noida blocked off for the Kanwar Yatra, commuters across the two districts on Monday were struck in serpentine jams that, on some stretches, lasted nearly for several hours, forcing them to travel at a crawl during peak hours. A similar situation is expected on Tuesday as the annual pilgrimage draws to a close.

In Ghaziabad, a quick look at Google Maps showed the no entry sign - a red circle with a horizontal white bar - on large sections of the Delhi-Meerut Road, GT Road, and the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME). Diversions have been on place on these routes for several days for the movement of the pilgrims.

Some of traffic was routed through National Highway-...