Kala Sanghia: Potato growers announce support to Seechewal

The Jalandhar Potato Growers Association announced its support to the people of the villages located on both sides of Kala Sanghia drain.

The Jalandhar Potato Growers Association announced its support to the people of the villages located on both sides of Kala Sanghia drain who have pledged to block the drain under the leadership of environmentalist Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal on May 18.

After the failure of the official machinery,a large number of people from the villages along the Kala Sanghia drain,religious leaders and village heads under the leadership of Seechewal had on April 24 made the announcement of direct action by people in the presence of Revenue Minister Ajit Singh Kohar. The proposed action has also received support from Rajasthan.

A team of the potato growers body,led by its president Raghbir Singh and general secretary Jaswinder Singh Sangha,met Seechewal on Sunday and said they would participate in the cause to plug the flow of dirty water into the drain. They said the toxic water from the drain not only caused air pollution and contamination of underground water,but also agricultural soil of dozens of villages due to the seepage of chemicals into the soil.

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According to the association,85,000 hectares of land is dedicated to potato cultivation in the region where the drain flows.

Water for dried canals

After repeated demands and reminders to the Punjab government as well as the canals department,the association sought the help and support of Baba Seechewal to get water restored to the dried canals of Doaba region. It also blamed the canals department of releasing most of its water into the canals of Malwa region. They also alleged that the canals in Doaba were not properly maintained.

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