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Traffic movement along the Noida-Greater Noida expressway resumed on Monday evening after hundreds of farmers, who had gathered for a "Delhi Chalo" march over various demands, agreed to vacate the protest site.
Sources said that after a meeting with the Noida authorities, Bhartiya Kisan Parishad (BKP) leader Sukhbir Khalifa, who is spearheading the protests, decided to give the Centre a week's time to fulfill the farmers' various demands, including a legislation on Minimum Support Prices (MSPs).
The farmers temporarily shifted their protest to Dalit Prerna Sthal (Ambedkar Park) on Noida Link Road but threatened to resume their march towards the national capital, if their demands were not met on time.
Earlier in the day, massive traffic snarls caused inconvenience to commuters crossing the Delhi-Noida border, as police set up multiple barricades to prevent the farmers from Uttar Pradesh from marching towards the Parliament complex.
A video posted by news agency ANI showed cars moving at a snail's pace at the Chilla border, while all vehicles appeared to be at a standstill along the Delhi-Noida-Direct Flyway or DND.
"The police set up barricades on both sides of the Delhi-Noida border, causing significant traffic congestion, especially on the carriageway heading from Noida to Delhi. It took me about an hour to get through that stretch," Aprajita Singh, a resident of Greater Noida, was quoted as saying by PTI.
The protest is being supported by the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) and other farmer organisations.
The farmers had gathered at the Mahamaya flyover on the Dadri-Noida link road around 11.30 am to press their demands, which also included land allocation and increased compensation for their lands acquired by the government.
Carrying banners and flags of various farmer groups, hundreds of protesters crossed the initial barricades erected by Noida Police. While some climbed over the barricades, others pushed them. They were finally stopped by police near Dalit Prerna Sthal, around 1 km from the Chilla border, an entry point to Delhi. Senior police officers tried to pacify the protesting farmers.
"We are ready for our march towards Delhi. Tomorrow, on December 2, we will start our march towards Delhi from under the Mahamaya flyover (In Noida). At noon, all of us will reach there and demand our compensation and benefits as per the new laws," Mr Khalifa told ANI on Sunday.