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Journalism of Courage
AN ENGINEER of Kutch Branch Canal (KBC) of Narmada project in Gujarat gave an application to Radhanpur police station in Patan district on Friday, alleging that an unidentified man from Kutch threatened him over supplying irrigation water to farmers.
Shashikant Mahant, in-charge executive engineer of KBC, said a man reportedly called him and threatened him with “dire consequences”.
“The caller asked me why I was not releasing water to farmers despite there being enough storage in KBC. I told him that I was acting as per direction of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Limited (SSNNL). However, the caller demanded that we release water immediately. He threatened me with dire consequences, adding that he and a group of farmers were coming to my office shortly,” Mahant told The Sunday Express.
SSNNL is the Gujarat government-owned corporation which is executing and operating the Narmada dam project.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi had inaugurated a pumping station on KBC near Bhachau town of arid Kutch district in May last year and announced that the pumping station will pump water downstream Tappar dam near Anjar.
However, presently, authorities are supplying irrigation water to agricultural land falling in command area of KBC till Bhachau. The KBC is designed to tail in Mandavi in western Kutch, but the canal is not complete yet.
Radhanpur police inspector D H Zala couldn’t be contacted for comment.
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