Charkhari block, Mahoba district. This latest agitation comes only a couple of days after a district-level protest was organized by the Bundelkhand Kisaan Union in the Mahoba tehsil on 20 November. Farmers in Mahoba’s Charkhari block have no water available for irrigation at a time when conditions are ideal for sowing the Rabi crop for this season.
On 23 November, farmers from various villages in and around the Kharela area of Charkhari, blocked the road and demanded an audience with the local administration, protesting the dearth of water in the canals used for irrigation. The Circle Officer Dhananjay and Sub Divisional Magistrate (S.D.M.) Prabuddh Singh were forced to meet the agitating farmers and were finally able to persuade them to clear the jam.
‘The canal in our area has been operational for the past one month but not a drop of water has reached our village till now,’ said Keshrani, a resident of Parheta village. ‘Thousands of acres of cultivation are drying up in Kuan, Baari, and Enchaana villages as we speak. In another 2-4 days, the canal will be closed down. What are we going to do then?’ asked a distraught Ghasita Singh.
S.D.M. Prabuddh Singh said that many farmers are responsible for water not reaching those who live in the lower lying areas along the canal. He assured the farmers that legal action would be taken against the culprits. ‘Although the canal is to be shut down on 25 November, steps will be taken to try and make water available to those who are still to irrigate their land,’ he said.
Mahoba district. Days after a protest by the Bundelkhand Kisaan Union at the Mahoba tehsil regarding dwindling water supply for irrigation, the Bhartiya Kisaan Union took to the streets on 25 November protesting power outages affecting farmers in the district. District President Jagram Tiwari said, ‘First, farmers in Bundelkhand don’t get water for irrigation and when they do, power outages become a problem.’ According to the list of demands submitted by them to the District Magistrate Veereshwar Singh, the Bhartiya kisaan Union has laid down demands for immediate action to be taken to resolve the matter or they will be forced to protest against the Electricity Department. The D.M. has assured the Union that the matter will be taken up seriously.
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