India, Sept. 11 -- A road blockade on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad national highway protesting the installation of smart electricity meters drew the attention of the authorities on Thursday, who said it was no longer mandatory to adopt the new system.

Thousands of people blocked the highway for around two hours, alleging that the new meters had led to a substantial increase in their monthly electricity bills. The protest, which took place amidst heavy rain, halted disrupted traffic for about two hours, resulting in long queues of vehicles stretching in both directions.

Leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) spearheading the agitation said opposition to the smart meters installed by Mahavitaran, the state electricity distribution comp...