Traffic in Salt Lake, Sealdah and most of central Kolkata is likely to be affected with a series of protests lined up for Wednesday.
The accredited social health activists (ASHA) workers had a march scheduled to Swasthya Bhawan for a meeting with the state health secretary Narayan Swaroop Nigam.
Kolkata sees a congestion on Wednesday morning after ASHA workers staged a protest (Soumyajit Dey)
After the cops in Kolkata and the district towns detained many of their colleagues from railway stations en route to Kolkata, the protesters squatted on the road.
According to the Kolkata Police’s traffic department, vehicular movement on the Chingrighata flyover and the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass’s north-bound lane was affected by protesters squatting on the road.
Traffic in Salt Lake’s Sector V, where Swasthya Bhawan is situated, was also moving at a slow pace.
ASHA workers at Sealdah station (Soumyajit Dey)
At the Sealdah station, the ASHA workers alleged they were not allowed to step out of the station since 7.30am. After the barricades set up by the police were partially removed, the protesters started a sit-in demonstration.
A similar protest is on at the Howrah station too where the ASHA workers had come from other districts in south Bengal.
Two large processions of ASHA workers from Howrah and Sealdah stations are now headed towards Dharmatala.
The traffic department said in a notification traffic movement along Netaji Subhas Road or Brabourne Road, Mayo Road, Red Road, RR Avenue and AJC Bose road will be affected.