Farmers’ protest leads to traffic jam on Mumbai-Goa highway Protest by Balganga irrigation project-affected people blocked busy highway for hour

Nearing the New Year festivities, the Mumbai–Goa national highway is usually one of the busiest. It was completely blocked for an hour on Thursday, when Balganga irrigation project affected far mers took all by staging a surprise protest near Pen and blocked the highway for an hour. Police evicted the protestors from the highway allowed traffic to move smoothly.

The protest, however, impacted the traffic for a while as there was a huge queue of vehicles about five kilometres at both end of the demonstration.

Project affected far mers are staging protest for fare compensation and proper rehabilitation since last 36 days. However, the district administration and the state gover nment did not took congnisance of it. Hence, we do not any option to intensify the protest and blocked the traffic on Thursday,” said Avinash Patil, leader of Sang- harsh Samiti.

Varsai and Nidhawali are the villages which will be displaced by the Balganga irrigation project. The protest was held at Kharoshi near Pen on highway. Patil further said, the irrigation project is almost completed and still the project affected people have not been given any facilities including rehabilitation. “Gover nment officials met us but did not given any assurance. However, district collector has not taken us seriously and hence far mers are angered,” Shankar Patil, another leader of the Sangharsh Samiti said.

“We are not against the project and do not opposing it. We are fighting for our right. If the district administration will not take cognisance of the protest, we will intensify it in future,” said Patil.

Advocate Kamal Sawant of Bhumata Brigade, Pratiksha Patil, Jyotsna Patil and number of far mers participated in protest. Students and commuters were suffered by the protest.