The irrigation department in Kolhapur issued orders on Friday permitting the lifting of water for agricultural and industrial purposes for the next three days, until Monday, in Kolhapur and Sangli districts.
Background of the Protest
For the past four days, farmers from Kolhapur and Sangli districts had been opposing the state government's Water Resources Department (WRD) decision to impose a ban on water lifting starting June 13. The farmers argued that despite sufficient water stock in district dams to meet drinking, agricultural, and industrial needs until August 31, the WRD had unnecessarily enforced the ban, which they described as detrimental to their livelihoods.
Official Order
Aarti Bartakke, Deputy Executive Engineer of the Kolhapur Irrigation Department (North), issued the order to lift the ban on Friday. The directive allows water lifting for agriculture on both banks in the basins of the Panchaganga, Bhogavati, Warna, Tulsi, Kasari, Kadvi, Kumbhi, Dhamani, and Jambhali rivers in Kolhapur and Sangli districts for June 20, 21, and 22.
Farmer Protests and Demands
Earlier on Friday, farmers, along with former MP Raju Shetti, staged a protest outside the district collectorate and submitted a written list of demands to District Collector Dr. Vijay Rathod. Shetti stated, "In Kolhapur district, when water is available in the dam, the state government and administration submitted a false report and imposed a ban on withdrawals without any prior intimation to the farmers. This agitation has been ongoing for four days. Farmers had started sowing and applied fertilizer; if water is not provided, the crops will be wasted."
Shetti further highlighted the plight of milk farmers lacking water for their cattle and noted that water from the Krishna river is being discharged at 125 cusecs into Karnataka at the Rajapur barrage, even though Karnataka had not requested it. He demanded that available water sufficient until August 31 be used for agriculture, emphasizing that Kolhapur district never goes completely dry even during droughts.
Outcome of Meeting
After meeting with the district collector to discuss the water scarcity issue, Shetti reported, "The district collector informed us that water supply will continue for the next three days. A decision on the subsequent water cycle will be made later based on water stock. This is a victory for the farmers."
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