Nalgonda: Thousands of travellers on National Highway 65 faced severe traffic congestion for hours while heading to their hometowns in Andhra Pradesh to celebrate the Sankranti festival. Many were left stranded in their vehicles, enduring significant inconvenience, especially elderly passengers and children.The bumper-to-bumper traffic made it challenging for commuters to stop at hotels or tea stalls along the highway, fearing they would lose their place in the long queues. Parking areas near hotels, particularly after the Korlaphad toll plaza, were overwhelmed due to limited space, adding to the frustration of travellers.Gullanki Murali, who left Banjara Hills in Hyderabad at 5 am on Sunday, reported taking over four hours to reach the Panthangi toll plaza due to the gridlock. “The traffic from Banjara Hills to Hayathnagar was no better. I’m unsure when I’ll finally reach my destination in Vijayawada,” he said.Another commuter, Singam Sai Kumar, who departed from Miyapur at 7 am, reached Panthangi toll plaza at 11 am without being able to stop for breakfast. He lamented that hotel staff along NH-65 were restricted by police from selling food to travellers to prevent additional congestion. “It’s frustrating not knowing when I’ll reach Gannavaram,” he added.Frequent jams at the Panthangi and Korlaphad toll plazas caused long delays, though timely interventions by police helped ease congestion periodically. Authorities noted that many travellers ignored the advisory to use alternative routes to reach destinations like Khammam, Vijayawada, and Guntur. “The rush at Panthangi toll plaza could have been minimised if motorists had followed the traffic advisories,” a police officer remarked.
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