Belagavi/Dharwad: Thousands of passengers travelling towards Pune and Mumbai were stranded for hours or forced to take lengthy detours as sugarcane farmers blocked highways across six north Karnataka districts for a second consecutive day Wednesday, disrupting inter-state travel and freight movement.Protests, which began Tuesday morning, were reported in Belagavi, Dharwad, Bagalkot, Vijayapura, Haveri and Davanagere districts. Farmers are demanding a higher price for sugarcane, among other demands. Hundreds of trucks, lorries and passenger buses were caught in long queues, while motorists struggled to find alternative routes.The blockade on Pune-Bengaluru National Highway (NH-48), a key link between Karnataka and Maharashtra, severely affected vehicles entering Karnataka from Maharashtra and those heading towards Hubballi-Dharwad, Bagalkot and Vijayapura. Police arranged diversions, but heavy traffic overwhelmed several alternative routes, adding to travel time and inconvenience.Passengers on long-distance buses particularly faced hardship, with several services delayed or suspended. Private transport operators reported increased demand as travellers sought alternative means of reaching their destinations.At Gaddanakeri junction in Bagalkot district, which connects traffic towards Hubballi, Vijayapura, Belagavi and Bagalkot, stranded passengers got off buses, walked across the blocked stretch and boarded vehicles on the other side to continue their journeys.Basavaraj, a Dharwad resident travelling to Pune to attend an event, was stranded near Gaddanakeri Cross. He could not reach his destination in time and missed the event. Vinod, a truck driver, said he had been stranded since Tuesday afternoon and needed to reach Mumbai by Wednesday night to deliver his consignment. The delay threatened to disrupt his delivery schedule and highlighted the impact of the agitation on freight movement.The blockade also affected pilgrims travelling to prominent religious destinations in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Devotees heading to Yellamma Temple in Saundatti, Sogal Somnath, Jyotiba Temple in Kolhapur and Mayakka Devi Temple in Chinchali were caught in traffic jams for hours, delaying visits and planned ceremonies. In Belagavi district, farmers blocked the Hirebagewadi, Hattargi and Kognoli toll plazas, bringing traffic on the interstate corridor to a near standstill. Vehicles were forced to wait for long periods, while police diversions failed to ease congestion on some stretches.Belagavi SP K Ramarajan said adequate security arrangements had been made to maintain law and order and regulate traffic as far as possible.The agitation at Yarikoppa near Dharwad and Bankapur toll plaza in Haveri district also disrupted inter-district and long-distance travel. Protesters parked tractors and bullock carts across roads to prevent vehicles from plying. At some locations, they cooked and ate lunch on the road while continuing their protest, leaving commuters with little option but to wait or take detours.In Kalaburagi, State Farmers’ Association, Hasiru Sene and sugarcane growers launched an indefinite protest by blocking Srirangapatna-Bidar National Highway. KKRTC divisional traffic officer Bailappa Biradar said buses heading towards Jevargi were diverted via Naganahalli Circle and AIR radio station, while those bound for Vijayapura were rerouted through Afzalpur Road. Jevargi-bound buses were stopped at Ram Mandir Circle.
