Beed: The Lokladha Andolan has appealed to ministers and MLAs from Beed district to raise the long-pending Godavari–Sindphana River Linking Project and the proposed distributary canal during the ongoing monsoon session of the Maharashtra Legislature, saying the projects are crucial to addressing the region's recurring water crisis.
In a press statement issued on Tuesday, the organisation said farmers from more than 140 villages have been campaigning through protests and other democratic means for the implementation of the project, which it described as essential for the survival of farmers in Georai, Shirur Kasar, Majalgaon and Beed tehsils.
The organisation claimed that the absence of assured irrigation has left farmers vulnerable to recurring drought, with Beed experiencing water scarcity every two to three years. It said repeated droughts have affected sugarcane and horticulture crops, while large rain-fed agricultural areas continue to suffer due to inadequate irrigation facilities.
Lokladha Andolan demanded the immediate implementation of the Godavari–Sindphana River Linking Project along with the construction of a distributary canal from Shrikshetra Bhagwangad to Majalgaon. According to the organisation, the proposed project would irrigate drought-prone farmland by utilising water from the Jayakwadi reservoir or the Krishna basin.
The organisation said farmers have staged several agitations in support of the project, including hunger strikes at Sirsamarg, Tandala and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, as well as a recent bullock-cart march to the Beed Collectorate. Despite these protests, it is alleged that the government has not acted with the urgency the issue demands.
With the monsoon session of the state legislature underway, the organisation urged elected representatives from Beed to raise the issue in both Houses and press for immediate approval and implementation of the river-link project and the proposed canal.
Lokladha Andolan also alleged that while the state government has approved ₹94,000 crore for the Wainganga–Penganga River Linking Project in Vidarbha and sanctioned significant funds for irrigation schemes in western Maharashtra, Nashik, Dhule and Jalgaon, irrigation projects in Beed district, including the Godavari–Sindphana River Linking Project, have remained neglected.
Describing the situation as discriminatory towards the Marathwada region, the organisation demanded adequate funding for irrigation projects in the region. It also sought clarity on the Beed district's share in the state's proposed 168 TMC river-linking project and urged local legislators to ensure that the district receives its rightful allocation of irrigation water.
