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Water is a key issue in Gujarat elections
Rajkot, Dec 09: From a small pit they had dug in the dry river bed, Netu Nana and his wife Bhuri scooped out muddy water into their cupped hands to quench their thirst.
Rajkot, Dec 09: From a small pit they had dug in the dry river bed, Netu Nana and his wife Bhuri scooped out muddy water into their
cupped hands to quench their thirst.
Migrants from Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, for the third successive day, they had failed to get work. ''Here also, they've had bad rains,'' Netu said, pointing at the nearby Menapur village. Sowing has been poor in many areas in the state due to another year of poor rains. The water table has fallen, rivers are lying dry and in some parts of the tribal Banaskantha and Sabarkantha districts, no crops have been sown this winter.
In such areas, power supply of just four to five hours is like adding fuel to fire. Stoking this anger are the Congress election campaigners who want to see the rural discontent translate into votes for the party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, is pointing out that Narmada water is now being supplied to at least some of the driest parts of Gujarat. Besides its usual cocktail of religion and cultural nationalism, the party is also hardselling to Gujaratis the dream of linking various rivers.
Bureau Report
Migrants from Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh, for the third successive day, they had failed to get work. ''Here also, they've had bad rains,'' Netu said, pointing at the nearby Menapur village. Sowing has been poor in many areas in the state due to another year of poor rains. The water table has fallen, rivers are lying dry and in some parts of the tribal Banaskantha and Sabarkantha districts, no crops have been sown this winter.
In such areas, power supply of just four to five hours is like adding fuel to fire. Stoking this anger are the Congress election campaigners who want to see the rural discontent translate into votes for the party. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, is pointing out that Narmada water is now being supplied to at least some of the driest parts of Gujarat. Besides its usual cocktail of religion and cultural nationalism, the party is also hardselling to Gujaratis the dream of linking various rivers.
Bureau Report