Seeking water, farmers threaten to court arrest

HISAR: Farmers of over 80 villages held a mahapanchayat amid heavy police force in front of the Hisar deputy commissioner’s office on Friday.

Reiterating their long-pending demand of irrigation water, the farmers threatened to court arrest with their cattle if the state government failed to provide water by March 5.

These tail-end villages in Haryana’s canal system are often deprived of their share of irrigation water.

Earlier on February 5, thousands of farmers, riding on over 2,000 tractors and trolleys, had gathered in Hisar demanding water two weeks a month for their fields. Protesting under the banner of Sanyukt Jal Sangharsh Samiti (SJSS), the gathering comprised mahapanchayat of around 200 villages.

Samiti president Kurda Ram said, “We are sitting on dharna for the last 33 days. Our demand is very simple. We want water for two weeks a month for irrigation of our fields. But the government is not paying attention to our problem.”

He said, “Till 2001, the land of our 80 villages under the Adampur block was very fertile and farmers had a good yield. But now, the land has become barren, and almost 20,000 farmers are under huge bank debts. Yet, the government is not giving us water. So we have decided to court arrest with our cattle.”

Hisar deputy commissioner Nikhil Gajraj, while talking with mediapersons, said the government had already assured the farmers that the government was working to solve the problem, but it will take some time. “Even after getting assurance from the government, the farmers did not end their protest. The matter will be forwarded to the officials concerned for early consideration,” he added.

The protesters also decided to boycott the government programmes in their villages from February 21. Many political leaders, including former finance minister Sampat Singh, supported the dharna.

THESE VILLAGES IN HISAR ARE AT THE TAILEND OF THE HARYANA CANAL SYSTEM AND DEPRIVED OF THEIR SHARE OF IRRIGATION WATER; FARMERS HAVE SOUGHT WATER FROM GOVT BY MARCH 5