Can lotus stay afloat without water?

Trader Bholabhai of Rajkot is indignant. 8220;The monsoon has come and gone and the government still talks of the crisis getting overonce the rains come. They are simply fooling the people. And they expect us to vote,8221; he fumes.

Taking the cue from the Chief Minister, BJP leaders and partymen brush the issue aside. 8220;Everybody knows it is a natural phenomenon. If it has not rained what can the BJP do about it? We are making every effort to procure water. But I don8217;t think this issue is likely to cause any anti-party feelings among the voters. It is a natural problem,8221; says Rajkot candidate Vallabh Kathiria.

Observers, however, feel the water crisis has the potential to cause BJP8217;s lotus to wilt, especially in cities and towns where people are forced to buy water. 8220;I cannot say how much the BJP will lose because of this but definitely the anti-party feeling will dent their vote base,8221; says Chandrakant Shukla, who prepares poll statistics.

The situation is very grim in Rajkot, Jamnagar, Surendranagar and Amreli. BJP candidates there find it difficult to face people8217;s questions. In Rajkot, water is supplied on alternate days. Themunicipal corporation admits water in the dams will not last for more than one month. To stave off the scarcity, pipelines are being laid on an emergency basis from Surendranagar district at a cost of Rs 60 crore.

The district has seen protests against the government on the issue. In fact, in Morbi, BJP MLA Kantibhai Amrutia expressed his displeasure by dashing off letters to the Chief Minister. The ire against the BJP is quite high in Morbi, Jetpur and Virpur where agitations have been held.

Standing crops of groundnut and cotton on more than four lakh hectares have failed in the district. 8220;Dams earmarked for irrigation are dry and from the remaining ones water is being diverted for domestic use; so there is no water for irrigation and the crops are on the verge of ruin,8221; rues Shyamjibhai Khoont, a farmer leader.

In Jamnagar, where the municipal corporation was providing water once a week till last month, a spell of good rain saved the city from total scarcity. 8220;When people are forced to breakmunicipal pipelines to pilfer water for drinking, you can understand the situation. There were enough indications right from the start that there was going to be a water problem. But the government did not bother,8221; says Virajbhai Vala of Dhrol.

The worst situation, however, is in Surendranagar district where the drought-like situation has triggered off premature migration by the Bharwads and Maldharis. Usually, such movement starts just before the summer sets in. But this year, these cattle-owners have been forced to go in search of greener pastures.

Surendranagar, Wadhwan and other towns in the district receive water once a week. According to water resources minister Narottambhai Patel, the situation will improve once the work on the pipelines being laid is complete.

Sensing an opportunity, the Congress has moved quickly to capitalise on the issue. Party workers campaigning in the rural areas are not sparing any chance to underline the point that the situation has been brought about by an8220;insensitive BJP government8221;.

Says veteran Mukeshbhai Vyas: 8220;The contingency measures they are taking should have been kept ready when it didn8217;t rain early in July. That was indication enough to put the government in top drive. Saurashtra is scarcity-prone. You should prevent the situation from becoming a problem rather than finding a cure later.8221;

However, BJP candidate and former Amreli MP argues that the region has always been prone to water scarcity and steps can be taken only after considering the requirement of all the districts. 8220;We cannot keep laying pipelines from every dam and water resource available. You need to conduct a survey and do a lot of groundwork before deciding the options. It is costly and takes some time. Blaming the government for the fallout of a natural calamity is unjust,8221; he says. Counters Valji Bagda of the Congress: 8220;The BJP government could not handle the crisis properly. The planning has been too haphazard and need-based only. This has eroded their popularity incertain areas and due to this we expect an anti-BJP voting pattern which will benefit the Congress.8221;

Says city Congress president Manoharsinh Jadeja: 8220;This is the result of total mismanagement. Initially they claimed there was enough water, suppressing the imminent crisis. Then suddenly they threw up their hands and called for help. This is not the way a government works.8221;

Faced with such an onslaught from the Congress and anger of the people who have to fight for a basic necessity, the BJP can wish away the problem only to its own peril.