NH48 traffic was disrupted for a second day after farmers protesting near the Kognoli toll plaza on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border blocked the Mumbai-Bengaluru National Highway, prompting police to advise travellers from Mumbai, Pune and Satara to avoid the route unless necessary.
The protest began on Tuesday morning over demands linked to sugarcane prices, ethanol rates and other agricultural issues. Heavy vehicles, including trucks and containers, were reported stranded on both sides of the Kognoli toll booth, affecting traffic moving from Maharashtra’s Kolhapur region towards Belagavi and Bengaluru.
Ranjan Kumar Sharma, Inspector General of Police for the Kolhapur Range, advised travellers to use alternative routes and said the police had written to Google Maps officials to show the affected section of NH48 as closed. The request is intended to prevent motorists from being directed towards the blocked stretch while the protest continues.
Police officials said the situation had not changed by Wednesday morning and warned that traffic could take time to return to normal. The Pune Range Superintendent of Police (Highways), Dr Shivaji Pawar, also appealed to travellers to avoid NH48 until the movement of vehicles becomes normal. Police and traffic personnel have been deployed on the suggested diversion routes.
Travellers heading from Satara towards Belagavi have been advised to use the route through Rahimatpur, Tasgaon, Miraj and Gokak. Another alternative connects Karad with Ashta, Sangli and Miraj before continuing towards Belagavi and destinations farther south. Police said these routes were being supported by traffic and local police teams to manage the additional movement.
The disruption is concentrated around the Maharashtra-Karnataka border crossing. Travellers heading towards Mahabaleshwar, Satara, Sangli and Kolhapur were not expected to face the same impact, according to the police advisory. Authorities said the restriction primarily affects vehicles using the NH48 section near Kognoli.
The blockade followed what the report described as unsuccessful talks with the government. The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana in Maharashtra and the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha are participating in the protest. Raju Shetti, president of the Maharashtra organisation, said the groups were seeking a sugar minimum support price of Rs 50 per kilogram and an ethanol purchase price of Rs 70 per litre ahead of the annual crushing season.
Shetti said meeting these demands would enable sugar mills to pay farmers Rs 5,000 per tonne. The report did not indicate any response from the Centre to the demands by Wednesday. Police said they would inform Google Maps and travellers once the situation improves and the highway can reopen for normal traffic.
