Farmers' group to GPCB: Why refuse to seal industry-controlled 'polluting' borewells?

By A Representative
The Farmers Action Group (FAG), a Gujarat-based group, in a letter to the chairman, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB), taking strong exception to a GPCB letters dated July 15 and 27 to the farmers of seven villages of Vadodara district seeking to seal their borewells, has wondered why is the top state government agency refusing to take a similar step against polluting industrial units in the region.
FAG said in its letter, if farmers’ bore wells in the seven villages are to be sealed citing the Supreme Court order May 7, 2004, GPCB should simultaneously “consider sealing of all other borewells emitting chemically polluted water, including all bore wells located in industrial units and villages”, as required by the apex court. It insisted, GPCB should help implement the order “in letter and spirit, and not in piecemeal.”
Asking GPCB to take necessary remedial measures, as required by the apex court, the letter said, prior to sealing the borewells, GPCB should inform all the owners two months prior to their closure after making “appropriate arrangements within six months for drinking water and water for irrigation”.
Telling GPCB not to “frighten small farmers” by its decision to seal borewells, the letter said, “GPCB’s actions need to be reasonable. A constructive way forward needs to be determined. It needs to show compassion and tolerance. We do not want this important social issue to turn into a game of football with GPCB.”
FAB said, the 2004 apex court order had directed the state government to supply drinking and irrigation water to the villages around the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporations (GIDCs) or Vapi, Ankleshwar and the Effluent Channel Project (ECP) of Vadodara district, including to the seven villages lying along the ECP of Vadodara district, Luna, Ekalbara, Sherkhi, Umraya, Nana Ekalbara, Bhimpura and Bhavpura, whose borewells GPCB is seeking to seal.
Wondering why GPCB is “misconceiving” the Supreme Court order, which not only talked about “closure of all the hand-pumps and bore wells in the areas and wherever possible”, FAB said, it sought implementation of a project to decontaminate ground water within a time-frame.
Further, FAB said, the order had insisted that

The water for agricultural purposes should be made available to the farmers two months prior to the closure of the borewells which are contaminated,
Supply water to the affected communities through tankers on a daily basis at the cost of the government and the concerned industry associations, and
Release permanent water connections through pipes for drinking purpose and some appropriate arrangement for irrigation purposes so that the dependence on tankers is removed.

Suggesting that groundwater contamination is mainly caused by industries in the region, FAB said, “Sixteen years have passed and remediation steps have not shown any material reduction in chemical contamination of groundwater. We, or for that matter, anyone would, feel that 16 years is a very long time, and pollution is still not under control.”

Comments

Grueling summer ahead: Cuttack’s alarming health trends and what they mean for Odisha

By Sudhansu R Das The preparation to face the summer should begin early in Odisha. People in the state endure long, grueling summer months starting from mid-February and extending until the end of October. This prolonged heat adversely affects productivity, causes deaths and diseases, and impacts agriculture, tourism and the unorganized sector. The social, economic and cultural life of the state remains severely disrupted during the peak heat months.

Stronger India–Russia partnership highlights a missed energy breakthrough

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to India was widely publicized across several countries and has attracted significant global attention. The warmth with which Mr. Putin was received by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was particularly noted, prompting policy planners worldwide to examine the implications of this cordial relationship for the global economy and political climate. India–Russia relations have stood on a strong foundation for decades and have consistently withstood geopolitical shifts. This is in marked contrast to India’s ties with the United States, which have experienced fluctuations under different U.S. administrations.

From natural farming to fair prices: Young entrepreneurs show a new path

By Bharat Dogra There have been frequent debates on agro-business companies not showing adequate concern for the livelihoods of small farmers. Farmers’ unions have often protested—generally with good reason—that while they do not receive fair returns despite high risks and hard work, corporate interests that merely process the crops produced by farmers earn disproportionately high profits. Hence, there is a growing demand for alternative models of agro-business development that demonstrate genuine commitment to protecting farmer livelihoods.

The Vande Mataram debate and the politics of manufactured controversy

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The recent Vande Mataram debate in Parliament was never meant to foster genuine dialogue. Each political party spoke past the other, addressing its own constituency, ensuring that clips went viral rather than contributing to meaningful deliberation. The objective was clear: to construct a Hindutva narrative ahead of the Bengal elections. Predictably, the Lok Sabha will likely expunge the opposition’s “controversial” remarks while retaining blatant inaccuracies voiced by ministers and ruling-party members. The BJP has mastered the art of inserting distortions into parliamentary records to provide them with a veneer of historical legitimacy.

A comrade in culture and controversy: Yao Wenyuan’s revolutionary legacy

By Harsh Thakor* This year marks two important anniversaries in Chinese revolutionary history—the 20th death anniversary of Yao Wenyuan, and the 50th anniversary of his seminal essay "On the Social Basis of the Lin Biao Anti-Party Clique". These milestones invite reflection on the man whose pen ignited the first sparks of the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution and whose sharp ideological interventions left an indelible imprint on the political and cultural landscape of socialist China.

The cost of being Indian: How inequality and market logic redefine rights

By Vikas Gupta We, the people of India, are engaged in a daily tryst—read: struggle—for basic human rights. For the seemingly well-to-do, the wish list includes constant water supply, clean air, safe roads, punctual public transportation, and crime-free neighbourhoods. For those further down the ladder, the struggle is starker: food that fills the stomach, water that doesn’t sicken, medicines that don’t kill, houses that don’t flood, habitats at safe distances from polluted streams or garbage piles, and exploitation-free environments in the public institutions they are compelled to navigate.

Why India must urgently strengthen its policies for an ageing population

By Bharat Dogra A quiet but far-reaching demographic transformation is reshaping much of the world. As life expectancy rises and birth rates fall, societies are witnessing a rapid increase in the proportion of older people. This shift has profound implications for public policy, and the need to strengthen frameworks for healthy and secure ageing has never been more urgent. India is among the countries where these pressures will intensify most sharply in the coming decades.

Thota Sitaramaiah: An internal pillar of an underground organisation

By Harsh Thakor* Thota Sitaramaiah was regarded within his circles as an example of the many individuals whose work in various underground movements remained largely unknown to the wider public. While some leaders become visible through organisational roles or media attention, many others contribute quietly, without public recognition. Sitaramaiah was considered one such figure. He passed away on December 8, 2025, at the age of 65.

Proposals for Babri Masjid, Ram Temple spark fears of polarisation before West Bengal polls

By A Representative A political debate has emerged in West Bengal following recent announcements about plans for new religious structures in Murshidabad district, including a proposed mosque to be named Babri Masjid and a separate announcement by a BJP leader regarding the construction of a Ram temple in another location within Behrampur.

Search This Blog