Two MPs of the ruling Samajwadi Party are in a war of words with each other over the use of water from the Dhanraul in Mirzapur and Sonebhadra districts of the state. They have written letters to the Chief Minister’s office against each other saying water was not being supplied in their respective constituencies.
The two MPs who have complained against each other are Balkumar Patel, Samajwadi Party MP from Mirzapur and MP from Sonebhadra, Pakauri Lal.
The water from the dam is used for irrigational purposes in the districts.
This fight has gone vertically down to the lowest levels with even party office bearers and district administration stand divided over this issue. The district authorities have decided to adopt rotation system to ensure supply of water in both the districts.
The Dhanraul dam was built under the stint of former minister Lokpati Tripathi.
The water was supplied to farmers of both the Sonebhadra and Mirzapur districts for irrigation from this dam. However, the cultivators of Sonebhadra are claiming full right on the use of water since the past four years. The farmers of Ramgarh block in Mirzapur are up in arms against administration as they have started agitating over the matter now. A mob of farmers congregated at Sonebhadra border to seek water supply.
The district administration has, meanwhile, deployed PAC on the spot to avert situation from worsening. Pakauri Lal says that farmers have cultivated their fields and if at this time water is not supplied it would affect the crop. He even threatened to stage protest if his demand was not met.
Officials are in a fix as what to do. They have passed the issue to the chief minister. If two MPs, that too from the same party, are at loggerheads we can not solve the issue administratively. There has to be some political solution to this tricky issue, a senior government official said.
WATER WOES
The two MPs who have complained against each other are Balkumar Patel, Samajwadi Party MP from Mirzapur and MP from Sonebhadra, Pakauri Lal.
The water from the dam is used for irrigational purposes in the districts.
This fight has gone vertically down to the lowest levels with even party office bearers and district administration stand divided over this issue. The district authorities have decided to adopt rotation system to ensure supply of water in both the districts.
The Dhanraul dam was built under the stint of former minister Lokpati Tripathi.
The water was supplied to farmers of both the Sonebhadra and Mirzapur districts for irrigation from this dam. However, the cultivators of Sonebhadra are claiming full right on the use of water since the past four years. The farmers of Ramgarh block in Mirzapur are up in arms against administration as they have started agitating over the matter now. A mob of farmers congregated at Sonebhadra border to seek water supply.
The district administration has, meanwhile, deployed PAC on the spot to avert situation from worsening. Pakauri Lal says that farmers have cultivated their fields and if at this time water is not supplied it would affect the crop. He even threatened to stage protest if his demand was not met.
Officials are in a fix as what to do. They have passed the issue to the chief minister. If two MPs, that too from the same party, are at loggerheads we can not solve the issue administratively. There has to be some political solution to this tricky issue, a senior government official said.
WATER WOES
- The battle is over the water of the Dhanraul dam which is being used for irrigational purposes in Mirzapur and Sonebhadra districts in Uttar Pradesh
- Both MPs - Balkumar Patel and Pakauri Lal have written letters against each other to the Chief Minister’s office alleging that water is not being supplied to their respective regions
- The district authorities had decided to adopt rotation system to ensure supply of water in both the districts. However, the cultivators of Sonebhadra are claiming full right on the use of water since the past four years
- The Dhanraul dam was built under the stint of former minister Lokpati Tripathi