Paradsinga farmers stop canal work, accuse govt of land grab

Nagpur: Farmers stopped district administration’s canal work in Paradsinga village, Sounsar tehsil, Chhindawara district, on Friday and Saturday. They said that government officials and contractors supervising the canal work had acquired more land than what was agreed on paper.
The farmers also said that workmen had dumped construction material in the fields which destroyed top soil and affected crops.

Additional district collector of Chhindawara Kavita Batla told TOI that of the 6X06 km long canal, 800 meters were left when activists and farmers stopped the work.

“We are in talks with the farmers and will return their land after restoring to original condition. I must speak to the Patwari for the exact land and details of affected farmers. Tanmay Joshi, an activist who was talking to us has gone out of town and now his wife is negotiating,” she said.

Tanmay’s wife Shwetta Bhattad said that farmers were in the process of a stand on the issue. “They have dug the fields and spoilt the top soil. They cut trees which were not in the way of the canal. It has ruined the natural environment. All this is being done in the name of development,” she said.

Bhattad said that the farmers had undertaken scientific contour farming. “We will not let the work begin until a logical discussion happens with the farmers,” said Bhattad.

The executive engineer of the area PK Sharma said that the administration had talked to farmers on Friday. “We have acquired 34.02ha land of 59 farmers. There is no over acquisition. It is a minor irrigation canal to Wadona lake.

“The project is in the farmers interest. It costs Rs 17.33 crore. Total land under project is 500ha. If farmers don’t want development we will stop the work. We need to put the material somewhere so we have used some empty fields. There are no crops. Yet we will restore the land,” said Sharma.