The Gujarat Government is heading for a confrontation with the farmers over the issue of stopping supply of Narmada water to the parched fields. The Gujarat government on Friday had “appealed” to the farmers to “skip” sowing during the summer season due to non-availability of Narmada water to the fields.
Reduced availability of water in the Sardar Sarovar Dam due to scanty rainfall in its catchment area in Madhya Pradesh has been cited as the reason for cut in the water supplies for the agricultural fields. The farming community is up in the arms, as the water cut would affect their summer sowing which begins around March.
Gujarat Khedut Samaj, an apolitical farmers’ organisation, has threatened to seek legal recourse against the stoppage of Narmada water for irrigation of the fields, as they alleged that the water meant for fields would be diverted to the industries during the summer season. The decision to stop Narmada water would adversely affect thousands of farmers in north and central Gujarat, Gujarat Khedut Samaj secretary Sagar Rabari said.
He said that the organisation feels that the move to cut Narmada water for farmers is a kind of revenge by the government as the ruling BJP has suffered heavy electoral losses in rural areas during the recent assembly elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had dedicated the Narmada dam to the nation on 27 July last year when its water had overflowed, Mr Rabari reminded reporters asking “where has all the water gone?”