Scores of activists of Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) and other farmer organisations on Saturday staged a protest on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida-Greater Noida Express highway and arterial routes thereby paralysing the whole of Noida and Greater Noida. Vehicular movement in the region was affected for more than six hours.
The agitated sugarcane farmers were demanding immediate release of previous years’ dues and enhancement of compensation to those whose lands were acquired by the Yamuna Authority. In protest, they parked their tractors on the road which led to a massive jam on the expressway, express highway, Pari Chowk, Noida Gate and other entry points on the Delhi-Noida border.
Around 11 am, more than 4,000 activists of BKU, Kisan Sangharsh Samiti (KSS) and other unions thronged the area blocking traffic movement on the entire carriageway. The protesters blocked the road for nearly three hours and later moved towards Noida via the express highway, where hundreds of activists joined the gathering. They had brought 500 tractors and other vehicles to halt the traffic. Around 4 pm, the agitators reached Noida and attempted to enter the national Capital but, were prevented by Noida police at Noida Gate. Police also closed the loop of DND flyway between the toll plaza and Sector 16, and deployed police personnel.
In the meantime, a huge volume of traffic at the Kalindi Kunj Bridge, Sector 63 Road which connects Noida to NH-24 and other roads, created a massive jam. The commuters were stranded in the jam for three to four hours. Prashant, a commuter coming from Greater Noida, said he reached zero point comfortably but it took five hours to travel from the expressway to the express highway — while heading towards the national Capital.
The agitation ended after 6 pm when the senior district administrative officials assured farmers that their demands will be forwarded to the State Government. Dushyant Nagar, convener of KSS, said that the sugarcane farmers had still not received their dues from sugar mills. Two farmers had also committed suicide due to this.
Several such farmers may take the extreme step of self-immolation if their dues are not paid. Apart from this, the Government has also not fulfilled the promises it made in the manifesto. “At Greater Noida, we have included the demand of six-time hiked compensation to Yamuna Expressway farmers, loan waiver and free electricity to the farmers of the whole region which were promised by the Government before the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections last year. The Noida and Greater Noida Authorities have been giving the hiked compensation to farmers. However, the Yamuna Expressway Authority claims that the court order was for Noida and Greater Noida farmers only and petitions of Yamuna Expressway farmers are pending with the court,” said Nagar.