Jaipur: Hundreds of farmers in Rajasthan Barat, including Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar, will not be able to get water for irrigation through the Indira Gandhi Nahar project from January 12.
The Customs Management Board of Customs, Chandigarh, in his meeting with officials from Rajasthan on Thursday rejected allocating water for irrigation from January 12 because of the poor water level in the Pong Dam in Kangra and Bhakra Nangal Dam.
This year, poor rainfall in the water catchment area was followed by a bad rain spell in the winter had worsened the situation.
The Board has cleared that it is not possible that the water supply will be normal due to poor rain even in December.
Rajasthan has a 50% stake in Pong Dam who faces water shortages that have caused a crisis.
The water from this dam is divided into three states – Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana.
Amarjeet Meharda, an official Air Department of Water travel attending the meeting, told TII, “The allocation of water is regulated by a set of rules that do not allow us to receive water for irrigation.
The only consolation is that the board has agreed that if the rain will come on January 12, they can review the decision.
“Experts say that farmers need water supplies for irrigation until February for their rabbi plants, productivity or quality will decrease.
Plants such as wheat and mustard are very popular in Hanumangarh and Sri Ganganagar.
Estimates say that more than one lakh hectare of land is under wheat cultivation in the area.
Farmers began registering their protests anticipating the delay in water supply.
“The state must knock the central government doors that can regulate additional water from other resources.
The rabbi season is very important for farmers because it produces 70% of annual income,” said Balbir Singh, a farmer in Hanumangarh.