Traffic on the NH-17 came to a standstill and had to be diverted after close to 4,000 protestors blocked the highway at the Vashi naka between Vadhkhal and Pen at around 11:45 am to protest against the MahaMumbai SEZ.
The SEZ is being developed in Raigad district by Reliance Industries' controlled Sea King Infrastructure.
Police had begun to clear the protestors by the afternoon but traffic had to be diverted via Nagothane.
The protestors demanded that the plan for the development of the SEZ be cancelled. The farmers also said they had met Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh six months ago and were promised that villages which would benefit from the Hetvane dam in Pen would be excluded from SEZ.
However, no action has been taken yet by the government, the protestors alleged. Among those who participated in the protest included leader of the farmers' group N D Patil, Konkan Vikas Aghadi leader Mohan Keluskar and social activists Ulka Mahajan and Surekha Dalvi.