Farmers protest non-release of water for irrigation

Our Correspondent

PALAMPUR, August 21

Hundreds of farmers of Jia, lower areas of Gopalpur, Dadh and other adjoining panchayats, today staged a dharna in front of Jia powerhouse for non-release of water for irrigation by the project management.

The farmers marched to the powerhouse and showed anger against the authorities for not releasing water, which, they said, had started damaging their crops. They said their share of water was being used for power generation.

Farmers threatened action if the state government failed to intervene in two days. They said their rights for getting water from the Baner river could not be denied as they had been using water of this river for the last 100 years.

Meanwhile, Parveen Sharma and Bipan Singh Parmar, BJP leaders of Palampur, supported farmers and said the government should direct the project authorities to release water immediately.