A sugarcane farmers’ blockade across six north Karnataka districts stranded thousands of passengers and trucks for hours on Wednesday, disrupting travel between Karnataka and Maharashtra and forcing buses and motorists onto congested diversion routes. The protest, which began on Tuesday, centres on farmers’ demand for a higher price for sugarcane and continued for a second day across major highways.
Blockades were reported in Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Haveri and Davanagere districts. The disruption was most severe on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway, or NH-48, a key interstate corridor used by vehicles entering Karnataka from Maharashtra and by traffic travelling towards Hubballi-Dharwad, Bagalkot and Vijayapura.
Hundreds of trucks, lorries and passenger buses were caught in long queues. Police arranged diversions, but heavy traffic overwhelmed several alternative routes. Several long-distance bus services were delayed or suspended, while private transport operators reported increased demand from travellers looking for other ways to reach their destinations.
At Gaddanakeri junction in Bagalkot district, which connects traffic towards Hubballi, Vijayapura, Belagavi and Bagalkot, some stranded passengers got off buses, walked across the blocked stretch and boarded vehicles on the other side. A Dharwad resident travelling to Pune said he was unable to reach an event on time, while a truck driver stranded since Tuesday afternoon said the delay threatened his scheduled delivery to Mumbai.
The blockade also affected pilgrims travelling to religious destinations in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Devotees heading to the Yellamma Temple in Saundatti, Sogal Somnath, Jyotiba Temple in Kolhapur and Mayakka Devi Temple in Chinchali were caught in traffic jams and faced delays to planned visits and ceremonies.
In Belagavi district, protesters blocked the Hirebagewadi, Hattargi and Kognoli toll plazas, bringing traffic on the interstate corridor close to a standstill. At Yarikoppa near Dharwad and the Bankapur toll plaza in Haveri, protesters used tractors and bullock carts to prevent vehicles from moving. Belagavi Superintendent of Police K Ramarajan said adequate security arrangements had been made to maintain law and order and regulate traffic as far as possible.
The disruption extended to Kalaburagi, where the State Farmers’ Association, Hasiru Sene and sugarcane growers began an indefinite protest by blocking the Srirangapatna-Bidar National Highway. Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation officials said buses heading towards Jevargi were diverted through Naganahalli Circle and the AIR radio station, while services bound for Vijayapura were rerouted through Afzalpur Road. Jevargi-bound buses were stopped at Ram Mandir Circle.
The highway blockades continued to affect inter-state travel, inter-district bus operations and freight movement as police and transport authorities managed diversions. No end time for the protests was reported, while the farmers’ demand for higher sugarcane prices remained at the centre of the agitation.
