Four-hour jam cripples Jamshedpur’s Mango, school children worst hit

Jamshedpur: A four-hour-long traffic jam on the Mango Bridge brought life to a standstill on Tuesday, leaving hundreds of commuters stranded under the blazing sun, with school children and office-goers bearing the brunt of the jam.

The jam, which began around 10:30 am, blocked several major routes including Dimna Chowk to Mango Bridge, Payal Talkies to Mango Chowk, Old Purulia Road, Bus Stand Roundabout, and the Old  Bridge stretch. The situation was aggravated as several desperate commuters resorted to driving on the wrong side, further escalating the gridlock.

While traffic police were deployed at key points, they struggled to control the snarled-up lanes as honking vehicles, school vans, and motorcycles remained stuck for hours. The bottleneck is being attributed to the ongoing construction work of the much-awaited Mango Flyover, which has significantly reduced road space and increased pressure on alternate routes.

For school-going children, the jam proved particularly harsh. Several vans carrying students remained immobile under the mid-day sun, causing immense discomfort.

“We left school at 11 am, but my son reached home after 2:30 pm. There was no water in the van, and the children were exhausted and dehydrated,” said Rupa Sinha, a resident of Dimna Road and mother of Kerala Samajam Model School. “This is becoming a daily torture.”

Ten-year-old Samarjit Das, sitting inside a jam-packed van, said, “It was so hot. We couldn’t even roll down the windows properly because of the fumes from other vehicles. I just wanted to go home.”

The jam also disrupted the routines of many office-goers and people commuting to hospitals. Anil Kumar, who works at a private bank in Sakchi, said, “I had a client meeting at noon. I got stuck at Payal Talkies and missed it. This is not just an inconvenience anymore—it’s affecting our livelihoods.”

Reports also surfaced of patients being stuck in ambulances due to the congestion. One local resident, Pushpa Mahato, shared, “We saw an ambulance stuck near Mango Chowk for over 20 minutes. The driver was pleading for space, but no one could move.”

Mango residents expressed growing frustration at the lack of effective traffic management and planning.

“Every day is the same story. No proper diversion, no traffic marshals, and no accountability,” said Rajesh Prasad, a local shopkeeper. “The flyover may be a long-term solution, but the administration must handle current traffic better.”

Many pedestrians were also forced to walk long distances under the scorching sun after abandoning public transport due to the jam. “I walked from Dimna Chowk to Old Purulia Road just to get to work. There was no other way,” said Salma Bano, a nursing assistant.

A police official said, “We understand the public’s pain. The ongoing flyover construction has narrowed key routes, and any surge in traffic—like school hours—causes massive bottlenecks. We are trying to deploy more personnel and manage flow better.”

However, he also urged citizens to cooperate. “People driving on the wrong side and blocking intersections makes our job harder. We request patience and discipline from commuters.”