The Maha Kumbh area has been designated as a "no vehicle zone" in preparation for the "Maghi Purnima Snan," set for Wednesday, February 12. This comes a day after people were stuck in traffic jams for almost 30 hours in multiple locations. Ahead of Maghi Purnima on Monday, thousands of devotees travelling to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh were stranded in severe traffic bottlenecks that reportedly stretched 300 km. The seriousness of the situation was indicated by the police's request that passengers turn around if they could.

According to Uttar Pradesh DGP Prashant Kumar, who spoke to news agency PTI, traffic jams are unavoidable during Maha Kumbh because of the sheer volume of devotees—the largest human gathering in history—rather than poor management.

The Maha Kumbh district administration has created a traffic strategy in anticipation of increased devotee attendance for the "Maghi Purnima Snan. "

In order to facilitate devotees' bathing, the entire mela region has been designated as a no-vehicle zone, commencing February 11 at 4 am. Emergency and necessary services will be permitted. On February 11, after 5 p.m., Prayagraj city will likewise introduce a no-vehicle zone. Emergency and essential services will not be charged.

On February 11, vehicles belonging to devotees travelling from outside Prayagraj city for the Maha Kumbh bath shall be parked in the lots along the corresponding roads after 4 a.m. This approach will not apply to emergency or critical service vehicles.

Until devotees are safely evacuated from the Mela area on February 12, the traffic arrangements outlined in the alert will continue to be in place.

Authorities have urged devotees and local commuters to use public transport and avoid unnecessary travel in high-traffic zones during the Snan. Special control rooms and helpline numbers have been set up to assist visitors.

The Maghi Purnima Snan, one of the significant bathing dates of the Maha Kumbh, is expected to witness an unprecedented gathering of pilgrims from across the country. The administration has assured that all necessary measures, including CCTV surveillance, drone monitoring, and enhanced police deployment, are in place to ensure a safe and hassle-free experience for devotees.