Farmers’ protests have erupted in Saurashtra over lack of water for irrigation as authorities clamped on “illegal siphoning” of water from Narmada canal and deployed security forces along the canal network.
Farmers in Morbi district have been sitting on a dharna for the last one week, demanding water to irrigate their crops following deficient rainfall in the area this monsoon.
In the neighbouring Surendranagar district, farmers enforced a bandh in Lakhtar taluka on Wednesday after officials from Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL) removed at least 45 pipes which were installed by farmers to drain water from the Saurashtra branch canal (SBC) for irrigation purposes.
Farmers have been drawing water from the canal to Motisar talav in the village, from where it is pumped to ponds in downstream villages like Talvani, Kadu, Kadam, Aniyari among others for irrigating farms.