Gandhinagar:Deputy Chief Minister of Gujarat, Nitin Patel reacting to today’s incident of Sanand said: “It is fact that farmers from the areas that are not benefited under Narmada project have demanded release of water in their area in the past. As we know, command area of Narmada is expanded every year, and beneficiaries are extended benefits of that. Moreover, whenever Sardar Sarovar dam overflows, the state government releases surplus water, but now when the period of summer is near, the Narmada water – through which 4 crore people of Gujarat get drinking water, lakhs of hectare land is irrigated, through which Sujalam Sufalam, Fatehwadi and other water projects get supply – can’t be given to the areas that don’t fit in rule, the areas that are not declared irrigated area, the areas where there’s no mechanism for supply of water. We can’t supply water at this juncture (when summer is near) for new sowing. We supply water to such areas during monsoon, but if we supply water now, others will also demand the same. We have fix allocation of Narmada water (under interstate agreement) for irrigation, drinking and other purposes.”

“Even in this backdrop, Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama had held meeting with farmers yesterday evening and another meeting was fixed on February 16.”

“The farmers continued with rally and police officials and jawans were injured in stone pelting. Police has taken action to maintain law and order. We request farmers that wherever, whenever possible, we are ready to supply water, we have done that in the past and we are ready to deliver in future too. But in view of the stock of water available at present which needs to be kept for drinking and other purposes, the farmers are requested to cooperate to maintain law and order.”

DeshGujarat