Modi assures farmers to take up Dark Zone issue with centre

Speaking to farmers gathered at Dhoraji Taluka’s Krishi Mahotsav fair, via video conferencing, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi said he would take up Dark Zone issue to centre and discuss it in-person with central Agriculture and Energy ministers.

Modi said Gujarat’s farmers are now motivated for scientific agricultural practices such as drip irrigation. Years old electricity dark zone issue should be resolved now as it was meant for old agricultural practices. The state government has taken up dark zone issue with the centre several times. The state government has urged central government to carry out comprehensive study on dark zone issue. The central government should form a high level committee to review that provision of dark zone is needed or not.

Dark Zone background

It should be noted that in Saurashtra, apolitical movement under the leadership of Congress MLA Jawahar Chavda and newly elected MP Vitthal Radadia has started this week, protesting against dark zone lable on specific talukas where ground water level was found below 200 ft. This movement is backed by RSS affiliated farmers union Bharatiya Kisan Sangh.

Dark zone status means the groundwater table in the area is much below the minimum desired level, and the water quality in the area is substandard. Govt has put restrictions on fetching groundwater in dark zone areas for farmers. In dark zone areas farmer can’t get bank loans or financial assistance for irrigation (to construct new wells or tube wells) and no new power connection is provided for agriculture.

Saurasthra’s Manavadar and Vanthali are two such Talukas that have been placed under the dark zone category for the last 15 years, which has halted the development process of these areas. According to local Congress legislator, when the region was placed under the ‘dark zone’ category 15 years ago, the ground water-level was nearly 200 feet below the surface. But now, it is 50 feet below surface. “The farmers want to know as to what is the state government’s scheme for the areas placed under the dark zone. Besides, what are the rules and regulations for continuing the dark zone and till when will it continue?” legislator asks.

In dark zone areas, the farmers cannot get new electricity connection. For establishing an industrial unit in the dark zone category area, it is necessary to obtain permission from the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA).

In case the CGWA grants permission for the same, the state government raises no objection. But if farmers demand electricity connection for agriculture in the same area, it is not permissible because the Gujarat water resources department has placed a ban on such connection. In effect this means that the government has no objection to industries but only to farmers. The government has also not implemented any scheme in the area in order to bring up the groundwater table.

A survey for measuring the groundwater table in the dark zone areas is mandatory after every five years. Though the surveys were carried out in 1997, 2002 and 2008, their reports were not made public according to agitating farmers in Saurashtra.