Farmers' protest enters 22nd day as mercury drops to 5°C in Delhi

The agitation against the Centre's new farm laws enters Week 4 with thousands of farmers camping at border points of Delhi adamant on their demands, and the Supreme Court saying it will form a committee to resolve the deadlock.

On Wednesday, the top court observed that the Centre's talks with the protesting farmers have 'not worked apparently' and were bound to fail, and said it will form a committee having representatives of both the sides, but the agitating leaders dismissed it as no solution.

There was disruption of traffic movement on key routes in the national capital on Thursday, the 22nd day of the farmers' protest to demand for the repeal of the three new agri marketing laws.

Braving the cold weather, farmers are camping at Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur border points.

The temperature in Delhi dropped to 5°C on Thursday morning as India Meteorological Department has predicted cold to severe cold conditions in some pockets over Delhi, Punjab and Haryana and Chandigarh in the next 24 hours.

IMD forecasts a maximum temperature of 18°C and a minimum temperature of 5°C in the national capital on Thursday.

"We are fighting the cold weather and we will keep fighting the cold, till our demands are met. We will not budge even if it rains," said Ashok Kumar at the Ghazipur-border area.

Another protestor said, "Amid this cold weather, we light a fire to keep warm and use blankets.

"We are getting all kinds of facilities here. We get chana, pulao, tea, poori, and aloo. But we are facing a problem using dirty washrooms."

Ranjeet Singh from Amritsar said, "I try to contribute to this moving by providing some service in gurdwara to help prepare food for the protestors. We make chana-pyaaz because it suitable by people of all ages."

The protests have led to closure of several routes in Delhi.

According to the city police, Singhu, Auchandi, Piau Maniyari, Sabholi and Mangesh borders are closed.

Commuters have been advised to take alternate routes via Lampur, Safiabad and Singhu school toll tax borders, while traffic has been diverted from Mukarba and GTK road, they said.

The Outer Ring Road, GTK road and NH-44 should be avoided, the police said.

Those travelling to Haryana can take Jharoda (only single carriageway), Daurala, Kapashera, Badusarai, Rajokri NH 8, Bijwasan/Bajghera, Palam Vihar and Dundahera Borders, the police said.

Gazipur border also remains closed for traffic coming from Gaziabad to Delhi.

Commuters have been advised to take alternate routes via Anand Vihar, DND, Chilla, Apsara and Bhopra borders, they added.

Enacted in September, the three farm laws have been projected by the government as major reforms in the agriculture sector that will remove the middlemen and allow farmers to sell anywhere in the country.

However, protesting farmers have expressed apprehension that the new laws would pave the way for eliminating the safety cushion of minimum support price and do away with the mandis, leaving them at the mercy of big corporates.

-- with inputs from ANI