Jaipur: Farmers from eight villages in Churu’s Sidhmukh tehsil have called for a Diwali boycott to protest the proposed Hansiyawas reservoir under Yamuna water project, alleging that fertile farmland is being acquired without any assurance of irrigation water. The agitation, which began in mid-Aug, has entered its third month.Farmers have been staging a dharna at Tambakhedi bus stand and holding tractor rallies, torchlight processions and protests at the Sidhmukh tehsil office. They have demanded that the reservoir be shifted to barren land or suitable govt land to minimise the loss of cultivable land.“We are being asked to give up fertile land that supports two crops a year, but there is no assurance that we will get water for irrigation. The govt must hold talks with us and explore alternatives,” said Mahender Singh, coordinator of Kisan Kalyan Samiti.The eight villages affected are Tambakhedi, Ramsara Tibba, Chubkiagarh, Dhanothi Chhoti, Dhanothi Badi, Dumki, Hansiyawas and Dhigarla, with a combined population of around 40,000, according to local reports.Farmers have also sought better compensation and rehabilitation, alleging that the proposed package is inferior to those offered for similar projects elsewhere.Churu MP Rahul Kaswan said the first phase of the Rajasthan-Haryana agreement provides for up to 577 million cubic metres (MCM) of water between July and Oct, primarily for drinking needs and subject to Haryana and Delhi’s priority requirements.“The original plan to irrigate 1.05 lakh hectares has been pushed to the second phase, which depends on three upstream dams. There is no disclosed timeline for their completion,” Kaswan said.Farmers alleged that the state govt had not responded to their demand for negotiations despite more than two months of protests. They want the reservoir site and rehabilitation package reconsidered before land acquisition proceeds.
