Narmada’s irrigation water diverted for industries, says Medha Patkar

Indore: Hardly a day has passed after the State Cabinet meeting was held at Narmada- Kshipra merging spot in village Ujjaini, when Narmada Bachao Andolan’s Medha Patkar has alleged that the State Government is using irrigation water of Narmada to fulfill industrial requirement.

Patkar, who is a petitioner in Narmada Valley canal project, claimed that the water is brought from Narmada into River Kshipra for industrial purposes only. She said that the river linking could have been the fifth phase while the first four should have been for Indira Sagar and Omkareshwar canal project.

However, without even completing the first phase of the canal project, the fifth phase of river linking was completed in one year. The reason she quotes for this is the requirement of water for industries under the DMIC project. She even accused that the river linking project has been funded by the industries of DMIC. It is noteworthy that earlier, a double bench of the High Court in response to a Public Interest Litigation had directed the State Government to form a high- level committee to hear objections on river linking project.

The petitioner has alleged that State Government, through Narmada- Kshipra River linking project, is using Narmada water of Omkareshwar reservoir for the purposes beyond the scope of the project. The HC also observed that Govt cannot change the original plan of Okareshwar project without approval from the sanctioning authorities.

Web: http://freepressjournal.in/govt-favouring-industries/#sthash.rMiJJ9oq.dpuf

 

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