Authorities in Muzaffarnagar have imposed staged traffic restrictions on two principal routes for the annual Kanwar Yatra, with measures taking effect from July 30 and remaining in place until August 12. Heavy vehicles will be restricted from July 30 on the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway and the Ganga Canal road, while all types of motor vehicles will be banned on those routes from August 4 to August 12. A section of the Delhi-Haridwar National Highway will be reserved exclusively for kanwariyas during the pilgrimage to facilitate orderly movement and reduce mingling with regular traffic.

The Kanwar Yatra is scheduled to run from July 30 to August 11 and attracts hundreds of thousands of devotees who collect holy water from the Ganga in Haridwar to offer at Shiva temples in their home towns. Officials said the measures are intended to manage the large flows of pilgrims and to reduce congestion and risk along the main corridors used by the yatra. The staged approach is designed to balance pilgrimage access with road safety and to allow freight movement to continue outside peak yatra days with minimal disruption.

Superintendent of Police (Traffic) Atul Kumar Chaubey described the restrictions and the reserved highway section as part of a wider operational plan to ensure orderly movement and prompt incident response during the event. District Magistrate Umesh Mishra indicated that police divers will be deployed at all major bathing spots along the Ganga Canal road to bolster safety arrangements for those taking ritual dips. A temporary police station has been established at Rampur Tiraha on the Delhi-Dehradun National Highway to provide a local command presence and to co-ordinate responses across the affected stretch.

Senior Superintendent of Police Sanjai Kumar designated Sub-Inspector Subhash Chand as the officer in charge of the temporary station and said around 20 police personnel would be posted there to manage duties and crowd control. Officials emphasised that the combined measures are intended to ensure the smooth conduct of the annual pilgrimage and to protect the safety of participants and other road users, and that arrangements will be reviewed and adjusted as the yatra progresses. Commuters and freight operators have been advised to plan alternative routes and allow additional travel time while the restrictions remain in force.