Farmers’ protests disrupt traffic on Tandur-Mahabubnagar highway amid urea shortage, power cut

Hundreds of farmers from Peddemul, Tandur, and Yelal blocked the Tandur–Mahabubnagar highway in Vikarabad district, protesting acute urea shortages and frequent power outages that are severely affecting paddy cultivation. Traffic was halted for over a kilometre

Hyderabad: Farmers from Peddemul, Tandur, and Yelal staged a road blockade on the Tandur–Mahabubnagar highway in Vikarabad district on Tuesday, halting traffic for more than a kilometre. The protest, which paralyzed vehicular movement in the region, was organised to highlight growing distress among farmers over acute urea shortages and frequent power outages.

Hundreds of farmers gathered early in the morning, blocking the busy highway that connects key agricultural belts in Vikarabad district. Eyewitnesses reported long queues of vehicles stranded on both sides of the road, with the jam extending for over a kilometre towards Peddemul and Tandur. Local officials, including traffic police, rushed to the scene to manage the chaos, but the blockade persisted for hours, causing delays for commuters.

---

The agitation stems not just from the urea crisis but also from erratic power supply that has severely impacted paddy cultivation during this critical season.”We can’t irrigate our fields properly because of these power cuts. And even when we do, there’s no urea to fertilize the crops,” said one protesting farmer, adding that the government’s promises on fertilizer availability had fallen short