PALGHAR | September 9, 2026 — Traffic on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad National Highway near Charoti Naka in Dahanu may be affected on Thursday, September 10, when the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is scheduled to hold a road blockade opposing smart meters and raising other demands. The protest is expected to draw between 5,000 and 6,000 people, according to the Palghar district administration as reported by Loksatta.
The district administration has issued a special traffic-control notification to prevent congestion on the highway. The restrictions will begin at 9 a.m. on Thursday and remain in force until the protest ends. Travellers and vehicle operators using the highway have been advised to remain alert and use alternative routes during the period.
The administration has also directed all categories of vehicles, transport operators and tanker drivers carrying flammable materials to park at safe locations, hotels or roadside eateries before the movement restrictions take effect. Such vehicles should not be brought back onto the highway until the protest has concluded, according to the reported directions.
Ambulances and vehicles involved in other essential services have been excluded from the traffic-control measures. The administration has stated that their movement will continue without interruption.
The first alternative route begins at Dhundalwadi and passes through Udhwa, Saiwan, Kasa, Talwada, Vikramgad, Pali and Manor or Wada before continuing towards the traveller’s destination. A second route runs from Dhundalwadi through Ashagad, Sarani, Nagझरी and Chilharphata. A third route starts at Mahalaxmi and passes through Waghadi, Saiwan Naka, Talwada, Vikramgad and Pali.
The planned protest is centred on opposition to smart meters, along with other demands. The reported traffic arrangements are intended to manage the expected concentration of people and reduce the possibility of a highway blockade causing wider congestion. The administration has asked highway users, commercial transport operators and tanker drivers to plan their journeys around the restrictions.
The traffic controls will remain in place until the road-blockade protest at Charoti Naka is officially concluded.
