Yamuna fest takes a toll on farmers, crops damaged
DAMAGE Bulldozers level fields for chairs and roads, Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit meets farmers
NEW DELHI: Over 35 lakh people, celebrations spread over 1,000 acres and a 7-acre stage to boot. But for Heera Tanwar, it doesn’t mean much.
In the tussle between Art of Living – which is holding the World Culture Festival on the Yamuna floodplains — and environmentalists, farmers like Tanwar are at the receiving end but have been ignored.
“A 30- feet road has to go through my field so I have to get rid of my entire crop. At least I was given some notice. The others came to know when the bulldozers were at their doorstep,” says Tanwar, 28, who grows seasonal vegetables.
Art of Living took permission from the Delhi Development Authority to hold the event.
The last week of February saw bulldozers marching onto the floodplains to level fields for chairs and carpets. Farmers said many of them were asked to clear their fields as roads had to cut through them. This meant that the standing crops of cauliflower, coriander, and brinjal were destroyed.
“My entire crop was destroyed. I have lost everything,” said a woman who did not want to be named. She said the organisers offered a compensation if ` 4,000 per bigha of cultivated land. “We usually make ` 20,000 per bigha. This doesn’t even cover the cost of seeds,” she says.
Tarun Singh, another farmer, said the impact was not limited to the loss of crop.
“Once bulldozers level land, it becomes packed. Packed land means water will not be absorbed as easily as it should and there will be stagnant water all around. In normal conditions, it takes two months for the monsoon water to recede. This time, it will take at least four and we will lose one crop cycle,” Singh said.
Despite the loss, many farmers want to raise a hue and cry.
“The truth is that we don’t have the permission to grow vegetables here and sell them. Any food product grown here is considered to be unsafe because of the polluted river. But this is our livelihood,” Tanwar says.
On Wednesday, former Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit went to meet farmers. Most, however, chose to stay away.
“Our position is precarious. We know we are legally not in the right. Our crop has been destroyed and it can’t come back. We just want compensation,” said a farm- er who didn’t want to be named.
Amita Baviskar, professor, Institute of Economic Growth who works on the politics of environment and development feels many problems could arise because of the event.
“The first issue is ecological. It is a floodplain that shouldn’t be used for any activity that takes away its water retention capacity. Farming is a low-impact activity; an event of this scale is not. The second problem is that this event will open doors for other such events,” she says.
Art of Living founder, Sri Sri Ravishankar on Tuesday, however, dismissed the idea that they were causing ecological damage. He also said affected farmers will be given aid.