Pollution pangs: Farmers raise concerns over green issues

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, June 9

A meeting of farmers was held at Chak Bahmaniana village by the Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee under state organising secretary Sukhwinder Singh Sabhra and district president Salwinder Singh Jania here on Thursday. Environmental concerns were raised at the meeting where office-bearers were chosen and various demands of farmers were aired. After the victory of the Kisan Andolan and several protests and morchas over MSPs for crops, one of the key demands on which farmers are currently being mobilised is environmental concerns.

Farmers from the Doaba belt, who have been complaining over the years that the belt is ignored in terms of division of water of the state, aired their long-pending demand for making water of all drains, rivers, etc, clean for irrigation purposes.

In the meeting, farmers were exhorted to serve people without any bias and were asked to take care of their surroundings and the environment. They were encouraged to plant trees. Leaders said the environment was on the brink of destruction.

They said in the past crystal clear water bodies of the state like the Chitti Bein, Sutlej, Beas, etc, had been contaminated by sewerage water from cities and towns like Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Phillaur, among others. They said if these are cleaned and freed of toxins and dirt, the water can be used for farm irrigation. They demanded that water from water bodies must be reached to tail-end farmers.

They also gave a call to plant trees on the banks of drains, water bodies, tributaries, roads, etc. They demanded that the government fulfill the promises made during the Kisan Andolan and in their election manifesto.

They demanded permanent land rights for farmers tilling land for a long time and that intequals rejected in 2007 be restored again. They demanded that the government close all toll plazas set up illegally on roads. They said the government already levied taxes worth lakhs and these toll plazas were illegal.

On the occasion, new office-bearers of the committee were chosen as per its manifesto. Gurmail Singh Rerwan was elected the zone in charge; Jarnail Singh Rame zone president; Gurjit Singh Chak Bahmanian secretray, Lakhvir SIngh Sindhar zone treasurer; and Harpreet Singh Kotli Gajran district press secretary. The other office-bearers chosen on the occasion included Balwinder Singh Rajewal, Lavpreet Singh Kotli Gajran, Jagdish Pal Singh, Balraj Singh Chak Bahmanian, Sukhjinder Singh Hera, Baldev Singh Kohar, Sher Singh Rame, among others.

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