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Farmers demand measures to check depletion of groundwater

Photo: Lingaraj Panda

Matter of concern: Farmers demonstrating at the Block office in Ganjam on Friday.

BERHAMPUR: Farmers of Malada and Kainchapur panchyayts protested in front of the Ganjam block office in Ganjam district on Friday demanding measures to stop rapid depletion of groundwater in their area.

These farmers alleged that the three deep borewells of a chemicals company near Kalyanpur had led to drastic reduction of groundwater in their area, which had affected their cultivation.

These farmers were from villages like Kalyanpur, Jharapadar, Badakainchapur, Sanakainchapur, Malada and Sribana. The farmers’ organization “Rushikulya Rayat Mahasabha (RRM)” had come out in support of these farmers. These farmers took out a protest rally and demonstrated in front of the block office. They also held a public meeting at the spot.

The farmers said this depletion of groundwater had destroyed meaning of the village ‘Jharapadar’ which meant ‘land of groundwater’. A few years ago farmers of this village used to have three crops in a year as there was ample amount of groundwater to be used. But now it was hard for them to grow a single crop.

Depletion of groundwater had also started to affect the cashew plantations in the area apart from the general farming which used ground water.

The farmers handed over a memorandum addressed to the state government demanding measures to check groundwater depletion in the area. Simanchal Nahak of RRM said they had demanded extensive plantation to be taken up in the area for recharging groundwater.

They have also suggested building up a barrage for better storage and use of water of the Rushikulya river that flows nearby. The farmers feel the water stored by the barrage would also recharge the groundwater in their area. They want both the chemicals company and the State Government to take responsibility of groundwater recharging in their area.

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