Farmers opposing Maharashtra’s Shaktipeeth Highway worry about waterlogging and lost irrigated acreage. Growing concerns in Krishna Valley about drainage problems reflect Vidarbha’s experience following Highway building post-Samruddhi.
Anshu Kashid
Pune | May 23, 2025: Farmers in Western Maharashtra are objecting increasingly to the Shaktipeeth Highway, a showpiece infrastructure project of Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis run under the Mahayuti government. Although the project is being pitched as a game-changer for regional connectivity and growth, residents – especially farmers in Sangli and Kolhapur districts—fear the route could destroy farms and aggravate flood conditions.
Not only land acquisition is of main importance. Farmers claim the raised, concretized highway could obstruct natural water flow during monsoons, causing dangerous waterlogging in the Krishna River region. Formed like a shallow bowl, this area already suffers from slow river drainage of rivers like Krishna, Warna, and Panchganga, which causes continuous floodwater retention problems. 2019 saw floodwaters stand still for days even after rain had stopped.
“We have seen what followed the Samruddhi Highway. Inadequate drainage design caused great problems for Vidarbha farmers It is now our turn to suffer, remarked a Kolhapur concerned farmer.
The possible loss of irrigated horticulture land, some of which has been farmed for decades, adds still another level of conflict. These areas not only give a living but also are rather important for the agricultural economy of the area.
The farmers are mounting more demonstrations, seeking open environmental impact evaluations, fair pay, and most importantly, flood management protections as the state advances with surveys and groundwork.
Follow us :
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/newsdotz/
Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/@NewsDotz
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573903448264
Read – https://newsdotz.com/