Ahmedabad: The ongoing ₹1,200-crore Kharicut Canal development project in the city has hit a major hurdle after water was released into the canal, forcing construction work to be halted. The release was initiated two days ago following intervention by Daskroi BJP MLA Babubhai Jamnadas Patel, who has now publicly raised questions over the slow pace of the project.

Talking to the media on Monday, Patel said, “In the monsoon, the last rains fell in such a way that the morsel of food was snatched right out of the farmer’s mouth. The millet and paddy that were ready to be harvested, or were already cut and gathered, were ruined because the rain fell right on top of them. What I mean to say is that the food they had earned was pulled away. Because of this, our plea was to allow the farmers to cultivate the Rabi (winter) crop peacefully. The farmers suffered such a loss that they haven’t received even a penny’s worth of compensation.”

The MLA further claimed that farmers were left waiting far beyond the promised timeline. “The work was meant to be completed in two years, but even after four years, farmers are still deprived of water. How long can they wait?” he asked. Responding to questions on whether he consulted the AMC Commissioner before the water release, Patel said he had spoken to the authorities concerned. “I spoke where I needed to,” he stated.

Patel also blamed the contractor for failing to complete the work on time, saying the situation would not have arisen if deadlines had been met. He added that he would continue to press for the project’s speedy completion.

Further developments are awaited as the delay and water release have sparked fresh controversy over the execution of the major canal project. DeshGujarat