📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Daniel VILLAFRUELA
Agriculture
Thousands Stranded on NH‑48 as Maharashtra Sugarcane Farmers Protest Continues
✍️ Hindustan Times
🗓 06 Nov 2026, 10:46 AM
👁 9
Hundreds of thousands of commuters are stuck on the NH‑48 highway after sugarcane farmers in Maharashtra intensified their protest, causing major traffic disruptions.
The NH‑48, a key artery linking Mumbai to Pune, has been blocked for several hours as sugarcane farmers from Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region staged a protest demanding better prices and support from the state government.
According to traffic authorities, the blockage has stranded an estimated 20,000 vehicles, causing significant delays for commuters and freight transport.
Police have deployed additional personnel to manage the crowd and restore traffic flow, but the farmers have insisted on continuing their sit‑in until their demands are met.
The protest, which began earlier this week, has drawn attention to the ongoing crisis faced by sugarcane growers, who argue that declining prices and high input costs are eroding their livelihoods.
State officials have urged farmers to negotiate, while transport operators have appealed for a swift resolution to minimize economic losses.
According to traffic authorities, the blockage has stranded an estimated 20,000 vehicles, causing significant delays for commuters and freight transport.
Police have deployed additional personnel to manage the crowd and restore traffic flow, but the farmers have insisted on continuing their sit‑in until their demands are met.
The protest, which began earlier this week, has drawn attention to the ongoing crisis faced by sugarcane growers, who argue that declining prices and high input costs are eroding their livelihoods.
State officials have urged farmers to negotiate, while transport operators have appealed for a swift resolution to minimize economic losses.