Sardarpur (Madhya Pradesh): Adding to the woes of farmers, road widening for a windmill in progress has inadvertently destroyed an irrigation canal, causing damage to crops. The road work involved cutting down 15 to 20 trees in farmers' fields, further exacerbating the situation. The affected canal was constructed under the MGNREGA scheme, stretching from Phoolgavdi gram panchayat to Badweli gram panchayat, covering a distance of 2 to 3 kilometres.
The windmill company, during the road widening, allegedly destroyed the canal without proper authorisation, leading to anger among farmers. They argue that while they were prepared to sow vegetables in the summer season with the canal's water, its destruction has jeopardised their crops. Neither the gram panchayat nor the irrigation department has granted permission for the road widening or the destruction of the canal.
The sarpanch of the gram panchayat has stated that no permission was sought for widening the road that was constructed by the gram panchayat. Officials from the irrigation department have also stated that no permission was granted for the destruction of the canal. They have pledged to investigate the matter and take appropriate action. Furthermore, a significant amount of material for the windmill's construction plant has been transported in large trailers, damaging the roads in rural areas.
Despite informing the gram panchayats about these activities, no action has been taken against the officials of the windmill plant. In a related incident, agent Paras Chaudhary, who facilitated the land acquisition for the windmill, alleges that the company has not paid him a commission of approximately Rs 3 lakh. This dispute led to a confrontation between Chaudhary and the windmill manager, who argued that Chaudhary had no right to halt the work unless he had written documentation regarding the commission payment.
