Kankumbi, a village 40 kms from Belgavi and about 35 kms from Sanquelim, was famously known for rice cultivation. However, the place has now become a bone of contention with the Karnataka government bent on the diversion of the Mhadei river to the Malaprabha basin for drinking and irrigation purposes.
But since the case is in the inter-state tribunal, there is a status quo on the project and the diversion, which was illegally done by Karnataka, has been sealed after a court order.
Recently, Karnataka launched a movement and made several attempts to unplug those vents claiming that people in Hubli and Dharwad are dying of thirst.
Herald visited the site and met some of the farmers and the village panchayat members in Kankumbi to understand the exact situation is in this small village.
Villagers said that the Kannada Chaluvali Vatal Paksha members, headed by Vatal Nagraj, visit the village regularly and hold meetings near the temple of Mauli and give long speeches and threaten to break the vents.
They have also composed songs on the Mhadei project saying God has asked them to divert water for farmers in Hubli and Dharwad.
Villagers say the situation almost turned violent on October 26, when the group tried to force thems to break the vents but police intervened on time.
The villagers also say they are upset as the government has paid little heed to their grievances of land compensation and water for drinking and irrigation.
Shivaji Dalvi, a member of Mauli Devasthan, says a large number of protesters come to Kankumbi and hold meetings here. “These meetings are inconveniencing the villagers as many of our youth work in Goa in Sanquelim, Bicholim or Mapusa and we totally depend on Goa for all our needs,” he says.
Villagers say the question is just not about farmers and people of Hubli and Dharwad, it is question of their livelihood too.
Nandakishore Gawade, Dy sarpanch of Kankumbi village panchayat, who himself is a victim of the Kalsa canal diversion says the work started in the agriculture land belonging to his family and no compensation has been paid to them.
“This was our only livelihood and they have just taken away our land without compensating us or even informing us,” he lamented.
Gawade, whose family owns another piece of land close to the canal, says ever since the work on Kalsa project has started, there is no water for cultivation.
“The government is thinking about people in Hubli and Dharwad, what about us? Despite the river passing through our village we have no water for irrigation as well as drinking,” he said.
Narayan Gawde, another farmer, says, “I had two acres of land but that has all been taken away and now I have to work in a canteen as a cook.”
Surprisingly, he was paid just Rs 8000 for two acres of land which works out to be at the rate of Rs 4000 per acre, which he refused to take.
Shakuntala Agasthi, who is also a panch member, said before undertaking such a big project the government didn’t even consult anybody from the village.
“It is we who are going to suffer. We have already lost so much of water for canal work that we have no water for the fields and for drinking. Earlier, we use to get water right near the fields. Now since the canal has been constructed, we have to walk quite a long distance to fetch water for our needs,” she said.
Professor Baban Dalvi, who is the president of the Mauli Devasthan Trust of Kankumbi said that for a decade he has brought to the notice of various authorities, the painful facts of farmers victimised by the project and also the critical condition of the temple by diversion work of Kalsa but nothing concrete has been done so far to either rebuild the temple hall or compensate the farmers.
“Assurances have been repeatedly given but so far no steps have been taken. We have also contacted the Managing Director of Karnataka Nirawari Nigam Ltd and brought to his notice the fact through memorandum as well as oral discussion but he has turned a deaf ear to our grievances,” he said.
Kiran Gawde, a member of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti, who hails from Chorla said, “The Mahajan Committee has already identified Kankumbi Chorla Panwad areas to be merged into Maharashtra but if the diversion work gets completed from where will the locals get water for drinking and irrigation?”
He said the central government must intervene immediately and stop this work. “This is a grave injustice on us,” he said.
