The Pune-Bengaluru National Highway (NH-48) remained blocked for approximately 45 hours as of 5 November 2026, as the Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) continued its indefinite "rasta roko" agitation at Kini toll plaza in Kolhapur district and Nagthane in Satara district, demanding a first payment of Rs 4,500 per tonne for sugarcane . The protest, led by former MP Raju Shetti, began on the morning of 3 November and has since paralyzed one of India's most critical freight corridors, which connects Kanyakumari to Kashmir and carries more than 25,000 goods vehicles daily .
Estimates indicate that over 4,000 vehicles are stranded on both sides of the highway, including trucks carrying essential goods, passenger buses, and private vehicles . Heavy goods vehicles have been particularly affected, as police diversions through interior village roads are unsuitable for large trucks. Several truck drivers have reported being caught unaware, with no food or drinking water, while others have parked their vehicles along the highway awaiting resumption of traffic . The protest has also affected Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (ST) bus services, further inconveniencing Diwali travelers .
The blockade has severely disrupted the supply of perishable commodities ahead of the Diwali festival. Gokul, a major dairy cooperative, has indicated that milk distribution in Mumbai and surrounding areas may be affected due to transportation disruptions . The supply of buffalo and cow milk has reportedly declined, while vegetable transportation has also stalled. The timing is particularly sensitive, as Diwali preparations typically involve heightened demand for milk, vegetables, and other essentials across Maharashtra .
Traffic diversions have been implemented, but they have proven inadequate for heavy vehicles. Vehicles from Kolhapur are being diverted toward Satara via Laxmi Tekdi, Kagal MIDC, Shiroli, Sangli Phata, Peth Naka, Islampur, Ashta, Sangli, and Rahimatpur, while traffic toward Pune and Karnataka is being routed through Sangli and Solapur . However, transporting heavy vehicles through these alternative routes has become difficult, and several large goods vehicles remain stranded. The sudden diversion has also caused severe congestion in towns and villages along the alternate routes .
The core dispute remains unresolved. The SSS initially demanded Rs 4,500 per tonne, later indicating willingness to accept Rs 4,200 per tonne, while a government proposal of Rs 3,850 per tonne was rejected . Shetti has also demanded that the minimum support price (MSP) of sugar be raised from Rs 31 per kg to Rs 50 per kg, and has threatened to observe a bandh in Kolhapur, Sangli, and Satara districts if the government does not accept the price demand . Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has stated that the price issue is between millers and farmers and has asked Minister Hasan Mushrif to initiate talks.
Efforts to resolve the deadlock have so far been unsuccessful. Two rounds of talks involving millers, farmers' organizations, and the administration failed to produce an agreement before the blockade began . On 4 November, a meeting was held but the commissioner did not arrive by evening, rendering the talks futile . The state government has faced criticism for its handling of the crisis, with former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan extending support to the protesters and stating that the government and sugar factory owners have consistently ignored farmers' rightful demands .
The protest has also had political ramifications. Shetti has framed the agitation as a fight against "sugar barons" and has warned that the movement will intensify if demands are not met, stating: "We are ready to celebrate Diwali on the road or in jail, but we will continue protesting for our demands" . The blockade follows an earlier 36-hour protest at Kognoli toll plaza on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border in October, signaling an escalating campaign by sugarcane farmers who accuse both the state government and mill owners of ignoring their concerns for two months .
For the logistics sector, the prolonged blockade underscores the vulnerability of road freight to social and political disruptions, particularly on corridors carrying time-sensitive and perishable cargo. With Diwali approaching and no resolution in sight, stakeholders across the supply chain—from dairy cooperatives to vegetable traders to transport operators—face mounting losses. The state government's ability to broker a compromise between farmers and millers will determine whether the blockade extends further into the festival season or whether freight movement on NH-48 can resume .