Latest news with #Farmers'Association
Hans India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Farmers, Workers Demand Withdrawal of U.S. 50% Tariffs on India
Gadwal: Farmers' and workers' unions under the banner of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha staged a protest at the old bus stand in the district headquarters on Wednesday, demanding the immediate withdrawal of the 50% tariffs imposed by the United States on India. Speaking at the protest, Farmers' Association State Secretary Gopal Yadav and CITU District President A. Venkataswamy said the steep tariffs would severely damage India's economy, push up prices of goods and services, and worsen unemployment. They stressed that in a largely agrarian country like India, such measures would disproportionately hurt farmers, workers, and agricultural laborers. The leaders reiterated India's sovereign right to make trade agreements with any nation and questioned the U.S.'s authority to interfere in India's ties with Russia. They called on the Indian government to stand firm against 'imperial arrogance' and dictatorial policies aimed at creating a unipolar world, which they said were fueling wars and global economic decline. They pledged the support of farmers and workers for all government measures aimed at safeguarding the nation's economy and foreign policy independence. The protest saw participation from Telangana Praja Front State Treasurer Sankar Prabhakar, District President Naganna, CITU District Vice-President Upper Narasimha, Farmers' Association leaders Nagaraju and Khaja Mainuddin, CITU leader Narasimhraju, and others.
Time of India
11-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Water woes: Tungabhadra dam faces water loss and upgrade delays
Crest Gate Replacement In A Limbo; Balancing Reservoir Needed Munirabad (Koppal): It has been a year since the 19th crest gate of the Tungabhadra reservoir was swept away on Aug 10, 2024. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Still, there are no signs that the old crest gates will be replaced. Due to the deteriorated condition of all 33 crest gates, the current water storage is limited to 80 tmcft, when compared to the total capacity of 101 tmcft. However, there are accusations that the Tungabhadra Board is still engaged in finalising the tender process. By the end of July, over 100 tmcft flowed into Andhra Pradesh. However, chief engineer L Basavaraj assures that the crest gates will be replaced soon. "Favourable monsoon conditions maintained water flow into the Tungabhadra River throughout July. Given the good rainfall, another 100 tmcft of water is likely to flow out," stated Tungabhadra Board sources. The , constructed 71 years ago, initially had a storage capacity of 133 tmcft. However, with half a tmcft of silt deposited annually, the dam's storage capacity decreased to 101 tmcft in the past thirty years. The water loss resulting from silt deposits is the state's allocation. Consequently, a plan was initiated thirty years ago to develop a balancing reservoir near Navali village in Gangavathi taluk for its storage. The detailed project report (DPR) was completed and shared with the authorities of Andhra Pradesh. Technical approval was secured, with only the political decision remaining. Nonetheless, former CM Basavaraj Bommai pointed out during his visit last year that the Siddaramaiah-led state govt has failed to take any action to speed up the process. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He urged the CM to communicate with his counterparts in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana to advance the construction of the parallel dam, which could save 28 tmcft of water yearly for the state. Considering the annual yield of 400 tmcft from the Tungabhadra dam, the amount of water that will flow into Andhra Pradesh this year is estimated to be 280 tmcft. "Although the state can use half of this, we do not have any dams to store the extra water. If the Navali balancing reservoir was built, we could have expanded our irrigation area by using this water," lamented CA Galeppa, district president of Farmers' Association, Vijayanagara.
Time of India
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Farmers' protest continues over unresolved C&D land issues
Madikeri: The govt has failed to resolve the issue of Section-4 and C and D land, which has disturbed the peace of farmers, the Farmers' Agitation Committee said, announcing Somwarpet bandh on Aug 11. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The protest is to draw the attention of the govt, it stated, adding pro-farmer organisations will participate in the agitation. At a meeting organised by the Farmers' Agitation Committee at the Vokkaligara Community Hall, president KB Suresh explained the C and D land issue, the struggle conducted so far on Section-4 issues, and the legal proceedings. The govt is secretly handing over agricultural land to the forest department and is working to mislead the people, he alleged. The committee has been conducting agitation related to C and D land, Section 4, Section-5 of the forest department, and the govt's attention has been drawn to the problems. He said that the protest was continued through the law, but to no avail. So far, a silent protest was held peacefully. Appeals were submitted to the officials concerned, chief minister and ministers, and the seriousness of the problem was explained. However, no positive response was received, he contended. On Aug 11, a protest will be held in front of the DC office at Madikeri too. The protest will continue until the govt takes action regarding C and D land, Section-4 and Section-5, which is a question of the extinction and survival of farmers. He said that everyone in all the villages should join hands in this regard and prepare for the next fight. On this occasion, the legal adviser of the committee BJ Deepak, secretary Yogendra Chaudlu, Mithun Haraga, Diwakar Kooti, former MLC SG Medappa, president of the Farmers' Association KM Dinesh, Chaudlu Pax president KT Paramesh, Gowdalli VSSN president Bharat Kumar, Nandakumar, and others were present.
The Guardian
29-04-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘India can starve us': farmers in Pakistan decry suspension of crucial water treaty
In July 2023, Ali Haider Dogar was one of tens of thousands of farmers in central-eastern Pakistan whose crops were submerged after India released water from the Sutlej River into Pakistan in an attempt to mitigate flash floods in its own northern regions. Dogar, whose family's losses in 2023 ran to tens of thousands of pounds, said every farmer in his village in Punjab was fearing the worst in the comings months after India suspended the Indus waters treaty, following a deadly attack on tourists in India-administered Kashmir that India has pinned on Pakistan. Islamabad denies any involvement in the attack, in which 26 people were killed. As well as suspending the treaty, Delhi has suspended trade with Pakistan, summoned and expelled its diplomats, and suspended visas for Pakistanis. Pakistan has also suspended all trade with India and closed its airspace to Indian airlines. The Indus treaty governs the distribution and use of waters from the Indus River and its tributaries, which feed 80% of Pakistan's irrigated agriculture and its hydropower. Dogar said the its suspension had 'sent shivers down our spines'. 'We fear India can cause flash floods or stop water destined for our crops,' he said. 'India can starve us. Because now India won't be responsible to share any data about flash floods or dam projects with Pakistan.' For decades, India has accused Pakistan of backing the violent separatist insurgency in Indian-administered Kashmir. Islamabad condemned the recent attack and called allegations of its involvement 'baseless'. Authorities in Islamabad have described the suspension of the water treaty as 'an act of war'. When both countries came into being as a result of partition in 1947, the source rivers of the Indus basin were all in India. Years of negotiation followed, before the treaty was brokered by the World Bank in 1960, giving control of the eastern tributaries to India and the western tributaries to Pakistan. The treaty has survived three wars between the nuclear rivals and is considered one of the world's most successful water-sharing endeavours. Pakistan has an agrarian economy and a breadbasket that is dependent on the treaty. 'Water is our life. We can't compromise on it,' said Khalid Khokhar, president of the Farmers' Association. 'If they do it, this is a war. 'My ancestors were farmers as well. In times of crises the farmers sell the family's jewellery, borrow money and do anything possible for farming. The water level is already low because of less rain and we are already very worried. There should be no politics on water. It is our lifeline.' Government officials and experts on both sides say India cannot stop water flows immediately, because the treaty has allowed it to build only hydropower plants without significant storage or dams on the three rivers allocated to Pakistan. 'In the short term, there may not be any direct practical implication,' Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of the India-based South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People, told Agence France-Presse at the weekend. 'Any safe infrastructure to divert water, beyond what is happening now, takes years, mostly more than a decade'. India's existing dams do not have the capacity to block or divert water. 'India cannot immediately stop the flow of these rivers, as it is technically unfeasible and economically not viable,' said Naseer Memon, a Pakistani water expert. But Memon warned of 'disastrous' consequences if Delhi started to ignore its obligations to inform authorities in Pakistan about development on the rivers in the future. 'This would be a humanitarian crisis. Millions of lives would be at stake.' India's suspension letter sent to Pakistan said there had been 'fundamental changes to the circumstances' since the deal was signed, including 'population dynamics' as well as a 'need to accelerate the development of clean energy'. The precious resource is being sucked up by increasing populations and surging agricultural requirements, as well as hydropower projects fuelled by rising energy needs. A senior Pakistani security official, requesting anonymity, claimed that India had been planning for some time to withdraw from the treaty and was using the Kashmir attack as an excuse. 'We can't sit and allow India to do it,' the official said. 'The international community must play its role.'
