Video of ‘happy farmers’ shows ones in distress, Rajasthan CM takes down post on X after photographer’s fact check

However, photographer Sharvan Patel, who runs popular social media pages under the name Thar Desert Photography – 30,000 followers on X and 1.6 million on Facebook – pointed out that the video showed his father and uncle.

“A video of my uncle and father has been shared while our land has become barren due to the polluted water of the Jojari river, and we are growing millet by farming in other people’s fields,” he said, tagging the CM’s official handle.

He pointed out that the “video uses two or three videos from my reels”. “We’ve tried our best to convey the farmers’ pain to you, but no one listened. The two farmers, my father and my uncle, who are sowing seeds with their tractors in this video – their fields have been filled with chemicals from Jodhpur’s industry for 15 years, which are flowing through the Jojari river,” he said.

The CM’s handle subsequently deleted the tweet, and the photographer, too, got a call from the CMO, following which he “withdrew” his post Saturday. “I have spoken on the phone with high-ranking officials of the honourable CM’s office. They have assured that the issue of the Jojari river will be resolved. Today, I am happy that our distress has reached the CM directly. Even if there was some mistake somewhere, by taking cognisance and assuring appropriate action, it reflects his sensitivity,” he said, adding that he has “always remained politically neutral”.

Speaking to The Indian Express on Saturday, Patel, who hails from Melba village in Luni under Jodhpur, said that some villagers in Balotra have indeed received compensation, but no one in his or the villages surrounding theirs “has received anything in the last 15 years”. “The situation here is grim; it’s difficult even to breathe here,” he said.

Before the CMO reached out to him, Sharvan Patel wrote that he had requested Law Minister and local MLA Jogaram Patel several times, “but he’s not conveying our pain to you”.

“It’s good that you’ve used our videos in your video, but at least listen to these farmers’ plight, CM saheb. These farmers aren’t prosperous; they’re completely ruined. The government has given factory owners free rein to release poison into our fields. This time, out of compulsion, the mung beans we sowed in other people’s fields have turned black due to the rain, and no one is buying them. We’re not getting even Rs 4,000 for a quintal. We’ve shared a video of that as well,” he said.

Leader of Opposition Tika Ram Jully attacked the government, saying that “through such acts, the CM has sprinkled salt on the wounds of our food providers, which is extremely heartbreaking and indicative of utter insensitivity”.

With the Jojari river pollution being heard by the Supreme Court, Jully claimed that despite the SC’s directives, “this government has not taken any steps so far to free the Jojari, Bandi, and Luni rivers from industrial pollution”. He said that “instead of focusing on essential issues, the government’s entire attention is on garnering views and likes on social media”.

Deputy CM Prem Chand Bairwa attacked the LoP, saying that the Jojari issue “is over 15 years old” and that the incumbent government has taken several steps to resolve it and provide relief to the affected families. He said Jully should mention the steps taken by the Congress government, if any.

Water Resources Minister Suresh Singh Rawat said, “Compensation of Rs 4 crore has been approved for 3,114 farmers in the Jojari river case so far, and a new survey of the affected land has been completed this year. The state government has taken prompt action on affected roads, canals, pathways, and waterlogging. Additionally, a work order has been issued to prepare a DPR for a permanent solution to the contaminated water.”