The Maharashtra Highway Police on Wednesday urged motorists, particularly those travelling long distances, to use alternative routes to avoid congestion along the National Highway 48 (NH 48), connecting Delhi with Chennai, due to a farmer protest at the Kognoli toll plaza in Karnataka.
It added protest began on Tuesday morning over demands related to sugarcane and ethanol prices. Motorists, particularly those travelling long distances, should plan their journeys accordingly, it added. They advised motorists, bus operators and heavy vehicle drivers to follow the traffic advisory and cooperate with the police to avoid unnecessary congestion and delays.
Pawar said the authorities have requested Google Maps to mark the affected stretch as blocked due to the protest, display traffic delays and suggest alternative routes until the agitation ends. In an advisory, they said the protest has affected traffic from Maharashtra towards Belagavi and Bengaluru on the NH 48. “The impact of the agitation on interstate traffic on NH 48 must be taken into account while planning journeys.
The agitation was expected to end soon, but it was still underway, and there is no clarity on when it would be called off, the advisory said. Police superintendent (Highway Safety Patrol, Pune) Shivaji Pawar said there was currently no obstruction to traffic within Maharashtra’s jurisdiction and vehicles could continue moving smoothly within the state. Police said they would provide an update once traffic movement returns to normal.
