Other States - Orissa   

Ryots hurt in police lathicharge

BHUBANESWAR: Over 30 farmers were injured when police tried to prevent them from entering prohibited area on Hirakud Dam, the largest river dam of the State, on Tuesday. Farmers were agitated over distribution of water toindustries from the reservoir.

It was virtually a sea of farmers outside the dam area as everybody poured in to air their dissatisfaction over State Government’s move to allocate water to industrial projects. More than 30,000 farmers from 10 neighbouring districts gathered in the afternoon.

“Orissa government has sanctioned diversion of 478 cusecs of water from Hirakud Reservoir.

The water could have irrigated 50,000 acres of agricultural land lying in the command area of Hirakud Dam,” Lingaraj, Convener of Western Orissa Farmers’ Coordination Committee, said.

He said as per the government figure 20,000 acres of agricultural land in command area required irrigation and hundreds of farmers were relying on the Hirakud Dam water. Police had to resort to mild lathi charge to disperse agitating farmers.

The huge gathering was the fourth phase of an ongoing agitation against diversion of reservoir water.

Earlier, farmers had formed human chain around the dam, organised rallies and carried out signature campaign protesting water for industry from the reservoir.

Lingaraj said the water scarcity for irrigation was likely to become more acute as Reliance Energy which proposed to put up 12,000 mw-capacity thermal power project in Jharsuguda district required 600 cusecs water from Mahanadi.

Several farmer leaders courted arrest after the meeting.

The district administration had deployed 15 platoons of force to control the rally. “It was just the beginning.

Farmers was ready to take extreme step in the war for water,” convener of farmers’ body said.

Ashok Pradhan, President of Sambalpur Krushak Surakshaya Sangathan, also addressed the rally.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Uncertainty over two festivals
Sportswomen have full of fun
Man gets 7-year RI for rape
Two youths drowned
Officials urged to create AIDS awareness
Boy crushed to death
Roll out infrastructure projects, Centre tells states
Depositors taken for a ride by businessman?
DGP chants courtesy mantra
Ryots hurt in police lathicharge
Killer school bus torched

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu