Ghaziabad, Aug. 4 -- Authorities on Monday directed the closure of all educational institutions till August 12 amid an influx of Kanwariyas heading towards the district on their way from Uttarakhand. As a result, the Ghaziabad stretch of the Delhi-Meerut Expressway was also shut down two days early to open up space for their movement, catching commuters by surprise and resulting in extensive traffic snarls on the route.

All schools, including CBSE and ICSE, degree and higher colleges, will be shut between August 4-12, an official order issued by district inspector of schools (DIOS) BP Singh said.

"The decision is taken in the wake of Kanwar Yatra, which is underway, and there is high movement of Kanwariyas on various routes in Ghaziabad...