Peasants’ organisation All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) demanded Central government to declare state of water emergency in the country, review implementation of water conservation and take up immediate long term measures to ensure adequate supply of water to all.
Through a statement, central executive committee of AIKMS declared that they would take up nationwide campaign to create public awareness against provision of large quantity of water to units of large corporate houses while allowing farmers and the downtrodden to suffer in severe water crisis. According to AIKMS without adequate provision of water rural economy cannot progress.
Speaking to The Hindu, secretary of national committee of AIKMS, Bhalachandra Sarangi government is trying to sideline the problem by putting the blame on natural calamities. As per the allegation of AIKMS more than half of the districts of India are now suffering from severe water shortage, ground water depletion and drought conditions. The organisations alleges that this crisis is due to failure of government to manage and conserve rain water, restore water bodies, conserve top soil, maintain forest cover, ensure low water consuming cropping pattern in dry areas. During past few decades promotion of water consumerism, urbanization, massive unplanned constructions reducing agricultural land, wasteful use of water by industries has added to the woes, said Mr Sarangi.
The AIKMS has put forward eight short term and six long term suggestions for Central government to meet this water crisis which would aggravate in future. “Central government should realise gravity of the crisis and declare water emergency in the country”, said Mr Sarangi. Long tern measures suggested by AIKMS include check on large scale use of water by thermal power plants and water wasting industries, promotion of renewable energy like solar power. This farmers’ body wanted ban on extreme water consuming cropping pattern in water starved districts with promotion of low water through scientific cultivation through methods like SRI. There is demand for taxing all who draw water from ground water sources and review of water conservation measures taken up till now. Tree cover depletion in the country in relation with fall in rainfall should also be studied for future water management plans, said Mr Sarangi.
As short tern immediate measures, the AIKMS leaders have urged government to put check on indiscriminate use of unused or agricultural land for industrial or any other construction purpose.
