Overview

• Delhi Traffic Police enforced 2 pm–10 pm restrictions for Chandni Chowk and nearby markets from October 18–21, with diversions and a bar on e‑rickshaws, autos and cycle rickshaws beyond specified points.
• Delhi Police said over 23,000 personnel are on duty, including about 3,500 traffic staff, with CAPF and Rapid Action Force support, flag marches, foot patrols and anti‑sabotage checks in high‑footfall zones.
• Long snarls continued on major corridors and NCR links despite measures, while Noida diverted vehicles and blocked e‑rickshaws and autos around Sector 18 and Atta Market to ease shopper traffic.
• New Delhi Railway Station recorded roughly 75,000 passengers in a single day as people traveled for Diwali, with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspecting crowd‑management arrangements.
• Delhi’s air quality stayed in the poor range, with CPCB reporting an AQI near 268 and several sites in very poor territory, as Bengaluru shifted from pre‑exodus jams to reports of unusually light local traffic.