Traffic on the Mumbai-Bengaluru Highway was disrupted for a second day after farmers blocked the road near the Kognoli toll plaza on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border, prompting police to advise travellers to avoid the affected stretch unless their journey was essential.
The protest, which began on Tuesday morning, has affected vehicles travelling from Maharashtra’s Kolhapur region towards Belagavi and Bengaluru. Heavy vehicles, including trucks and container carriers, were reported stranded on both sides of the toll booth as the blockade continued on Wednesday.
Ranjan Kumar Sharma, inspector general of police for the Kolhapur range, said travellers from Mumbai, Pune and Satara heading towards Karnataka should use alternative routes where possible. Police have also written to Google Maps officials, requesting that the affected section of National Highway 48 be shown as closed because of the continuing protest near Kognoli.
The Pune range superintendent of police for highways, Dr Shivaji Pawar, said there had been no change in the situation on Wednesday morning. Police appealed to people to avoid travelling on NH48 until the disruption was resolved, warning that normal traffic could take time to resume. Sharma said travellers would be informed once the situation improved and the road became operational again.
The police have suggested routes through Rahmatpur, Tasgaon, Miraj and Gokak for travellers going from Satara towards Belagavi. Another option connects Karad with Ashta, Sangli and Miraj before continuing towards Belagavi and destinations farther south. Police and local personnel have been deployed on the alternative routes to manage traffic. The advisory does not apply to travellers heading towards Mahabaleshwar, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur, according to the report.
The blockade followed the failure of talks between the government and farmer organisations, including Maharashtra’s Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and Karnataka’s Raitha Sangha. The groups are seeking higher returns ahead of the annual sugarcane crushing season, which is expected to begin shortly.
Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana president Raju Shetti said the organisations were demanding a sugar minimum support price of Rs 50 per kilogram and an ethanol purchase price of Rs 70 per litre. According to Shetti, accepting these demands would enable sugar mills to pay farmers Rs 5,000 per tonne. The report said there had been no response from the Union government by the second day of the road blockade.
The police said the travel advisory would be withdrawn after traffic returns to normal. Until then, commuters and freight operators using the Mumbai-Bengaluru corridor have been asked to check route conditions and consider the suggested diversions.
