Traffic on the Pune-Bengaluru National Highway came to a standstill near the Kini toll plaza on Tuesday after sugarcane farmers led by Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana founder president Raju Shetti blocked the road, demanding an initial payment of ₹4,500 per tonne from sugar factories.
The blockade followed two rounds of discussions between representatives of the administration, sugar mill owners and the farmers’ organisation. The talks did not produce an agreement, prompting the farmers to intensify a protest that had already been continuing outside sugar factories across the district for several days.
Shetti joined the agitation at around 11.30 am after visiting the Shri Maruti temple in Kini. Soon after his arrival, farmers occupied the highway and stopped vehicles, bringing movement near the toll plaza to a complete halt. The action disrupted one of the key road links between Pune and southern Maharashtra, with commuters and other road users facing severe congestion.
More than 300 police personnel were deployed around the Kini toll plaza to manage the situation and prevent law-and-order problems, according to the report. Authorities diverted vehicles on both sides of the affected stretch. Traffic travelling towards Kolhapur was sent through a route via the junction, while vehicles coming from Pune were diverted through Waghwadi Phata.
The diversions did not prevent heavy congestion because traffic movement near the toll plaza had stopped entirely. The disruption also placed pressure on the administration and sugar mill managements to address the payment dispute, as the farmers maintained that the blockade would continue without an assurance on the demanded initial payment.
The payment dispute is taking place as sugarcane growers seek clarity on the amount they will receive from mills at the start of the payment process. The report did not provide details of the mills involved, the administration’s proposed payment figure or the duration for which the highway blockade would continue.
The organisation has not agreed to call off the agitation in the absence of a settlement. With negotiations yet to produce a breakthrough, authorities continue to face the immediate task of managing traffic diversions while the administration and sugar mill owners work towards resolving the farmers’ demand.
