The farmer unions have preponed the 24-hour blockade of 135-km-long Kundli-Manesar-Palwal Expressway by three hours to start at 8 a.m. on Saturday. Around 25,000 vehicles are likely to be impacted.
“Earlier, the blockade was to start at 11 a.m. on April 10 for 24 hours, but we have rescheduled it to start at 8 a.m.,” said Inderji Singh, vice-president, Haryana All-India Kisan Sabha. He added that farmers in large numbers would hold sit-ins at all the eleven tolls on the highway and also put up tents, if required.
“The farmer unions activists would also be deployed at the entry points to the highway to advise the commuters to avoid the road. Those already having entered the highway would be allowed to exit. The commuters left stranded on the road would be provided food and water by the protesters,” said Mr. Singh.
The KMP Expressway, connecting Delhi-Ambala and Delhi-Agra highways, cuts through five districts of Haryana: Sonipat, Jhajjar, Gurugram, Nuh and Palwal.
Vijay Tiwari, senior project manager, Path India, the toll collection agency for the KMP, told The Hindu that 25,000 vehicles, including one-third commercial vehicles, used the road every day on an average. He said the blockade would cause an estimated loss of around ₹75 lakh.
