Saturday, 21 January 2012

Shortage of water in areas of Sri Mahavir,Karauli Rajasthan


Forwarding Pics of  a meeting of 15 villages held on 17 Jan in remote areas of Sri Mahavir, Karauli district in Rajasthan; fertile belt of  of 5530 sq km facing acute shortage of water.

Over 350 villages of the area are affected by acute shortage of water are fighting to have a 35 Km long pipe line constructed to link Chambal river and recharge the Panchna Dam to  in revive the seasonal  Gambhir river and raise the water level in the area. This is essential to save the belt which is as fertile as Punjab and relatively unaffected by curse of green revolution – excess application of  fertilizers and mechanical farming.

Union budgets have accorded priority to construction of  Roads and impetus to the industry; In 2010-11, Rs 5.02 lakh crore was provided by way of tax exemptions to industry. The economic stimulus given to the industry for tiding over the recession has still not been withdrawn, annual rebates doled out to the industry comes to over Rs 6.5 lakh crore.

In a price sensitive political economy, the government  has ignored the farmers interest, farm prices are being kept below world market levels, in the bargain farmer have suffered. On the other hand, industrial prices were kept high and  tariff barriers were provided to protect domestic manufacturing. Between 1971 and 1988, the protection offered to agriculture was half of what went to industry

Subsidies breed inefficiency eg diesel. In the case of the irrigation subsidy, “most of the actual expenses ended up financing the state’s irrigation departments salary and wage payments to a bureaucracy.”  Subsidies also led to environmental and production distortions and caused serious nutrient imbalances by excess fertilizer application..

Compensation to landowners for environmental services has gained international recognition eg Costa Rica; this provides a unique case study in which a  Law ensures environmental service payments and prohibited forest conversion to other land uses. Indian farmers need similar protection, land acquisition law and authority for conversion of land use are being grossly misued, leading to loss of precious fertile land.


Subsidy for the rich should be reduced. Incentives for agriculture which are presently routed through the industry, hoping some of it will trickle down, should be paid  directly to the farmers by way of per acre allowance.

Water resources management should receive priority in budgetary allocation. Spree of road building and Highway construction has limited utility for the rural populace it is more of a urban and industry boosting developmental activity- Rural india is not receiving its due share in resource allocation.
 
Rgds 

Col Devinder Sehrawat
Co Convener
Kissan Mahasangh
9811699588

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