WATER FOR VOTES

In scores of villages across Patan and Mehsana districts8212;the area goes to polls in the second phase on December 168212;with depleting groundwater, such cartels and pani mandalis water cooperatives rule local politics. In this election, the cartels, mostly controlled by Patels, are rooting for the BJP while the mandalis, which belong mostly to farmers of the socially- and economically-backward classes, are with the Congress.

Chanasma is a Congress stronghold and sitting MLA Maljibhai Desai is contesting again. The farmers are angry with the Narendra Modi government because power supply to farms has been reduced from 14 hours to 8 hours and annual tariff has been increased from Rs 600 to Rs 1,100. But there8217;s little they can do about it but fret. 8220;Supporters of the Congress are under pressure from the BJP water cartels to switch loyalties. During elections, it8217;s all about water politics,8221; said Karshanbhai Patel, a farmer and head of Gandhi Ashram.

The water cartels are lorded over by rich and influential farmers in the Patel-dominated villages while the mandalis have been formed by groups of small farmers who take loans to dig the expensive tubewells. But sometimes8212;in case of a power fault or if they need more water8212;the mandalis end up depending on the cartels.

8220;Small and medium farmers don8217;t have that kind of money to dig too deep for water because it is expensive. They become dependent on water cartels and more often than not have to switch political loyalties depending on the situation. They are under tremendous pressure, especially during gram panchayat and taluka panchayat elections,8221; said Lalubhai Desai, who has been working for more than 40 years on water-harvesting and conservation in north Gujarat.

When water from Narmada was released into a canal passing by Chanasma, small farmers, unable to bear the expenses of buying water, started drawing water from the canal using simple diesel engines. 8220;But the cartels made sure the government seized the pumps and though the canal is brimming, farmers can8217;t use the water because the government hasn8217;t fixed water rates,8221; said Karshanbhai Patel.

The water cartels fix rates depending on the size of field. In Patan8217;s villages, it is Rs 180 to 200 for an hour8217;s water supply. Underground pipes take the water as far as possible, sometimes up to half a km, and from there, it is diverted to fields. 8220;For the cartels, it is good business because they recover the money they invest,8221; said Karshanbhai Patel. The tubewells run for 260 days a year and at Rs 180 an hour, the cartels make about Rs 3.70 lakh a year. Such cartels operate in at least 12 assembly constituencies in Patan, Mehsana and Sabarkantha.

The politics of the cartels is for all to see at Ganget village. On one side, the fields are lush with castor and cotton crops while an adjacent field is barren. 8220;This field is irrigated by a water cooperative of Thakores. The neighbouring Patel farmer refused to buy water from them. He prefers to keep it like that till he can make his own arrangements,8221; said Maganji Patel, a farmer.

In Jheelia village, Congress supporter Valjibhai Patel pumps water from a pond half a km away from his field. There is a tubewell just 20 yards away in the neighbouring field but it belongs to a cartel of BJP supporters. 8220;As a Patel and fellow villager, they may agree if I ask for water but I know they will ask me to join their party. I am willing to bear the expenses of pumping water but I won8217;t join them,8221; he said.

8220;For farmers, especially those from socially and economically backward classes, there is no option since they depend on the cartels not only for water but for financial help too,8221; said Shambhubhai Thakore, a farmer in Kesni village who also teaches at the local school.