Chamarajanagar: Farmers protest night traffic ban

Chamarajanagar: Farmers of Talavadi, Bannari in Tamil Nadu and Punajanur in Chamarajanagar staged a protest by blocking the inter-state highway 209, on Thursday against Madras High Court ruling banning night vehicular traffic on Bengaluru-Dindigul NH.

Several farmers in Punajanur blocked NH 209, affecting vehicular traffic for more than half an hour. Farmers leader Honnur Prakash said that the HC should have asked the opinion of farmers before imposing ban. He said the farmers harvest vegetables since morning to evening and load the produce into trucks after 6 pm. If government bans night traffic, the vegetable would lose their freshness and value in the market. He claimed that farmers would be pushed into distress and warned of intensifying agitation if the court does not alter its order in final verdict.

More than 300 farmers staged protest against the ban in Bannari.