BATHINDA: Farmer organisations BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) and Kisan Mazdoor Sangrash Committee (KMSC) have joined hands to jointly raise voice over saving water resources in Punjab from going into private hands and to oppose the industries in private sector, which are polluting water by releasing affluent to be mixed in ground water.
The farmer groups have decided to hold sit-ins for five days from July 21 to July 25 at nine places in Punjab.
They allege that under World Bank funded schemes, the rights of water distribution are being handed over to private players as projects have been allotted for Ludhiana and Amritsar wherein World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have approved the loan of Rs 2,190 crore while Rs 657 crore will be provided by state government in the name to ensure quality drinking water and minimise water losses in these two cities.
Daudhar in Moga district is also being taken under it. The farm groups also said apart from it many industries are dumping affluent, polluting the water and at six such places the protests will be held.
BKU (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokri Kalan said, “Apart from Ludhiana, Amritsar and Daudhar, we have decided to hold protests at offices of water resources department at Patiala, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot, Bathinda and at Trident Group at Barnala. The farmer groups are concerned about industrial houses usurping the rights of water. We have decided to stand up for saving water for future generations.”
He also said water in canals is not being released timely and also it is getting contaminated due to which the farmers are not able to either sow crops or irrigate the sown crops on time. Due to unavailability of canal water, a number of farmers failed to sow cotton crop in Muktsar and Fazilka areas, they added.
