Farmers on the warpath against SEZ

Meena Menon

We will commit murder, not suicide, say agitated farmers of Pen taluk in Maharashtra 





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For 20 years, they have been fighting for water from the Hetawane dam
Why not an agriculture zone instead of SEZ?
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RESISTANCE: Janardhan Mhatre (centre), leading the struggle against the proposed Mumbai Special Economic Zone, is seen with farmers from Vashi village. — Photo: Meena Menon

PEN (Raigad district): "We will commit hatya (murder), not atmahatya (suicide) like Vidharbha farmers," says Jaywant Madhvi of Vashi village in Pen taluk in this district. Other farmers nod in assent.

For two decades, farmers have been fighting for water from the Hetawane dam. Instead of the promised water, they have been offered a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).

Seventy-two-year-old Janardhan Mhatre, a Gandhian from Vashi, has been leading the farmers' struggle, `Antyodaya Chalval,' for water from the dam for the past 20 years. It is among the 24 villages in Pen taluk facing the prospect of their fertile land being acquired for the Mumbai Special Economic Zone (MSEZ), developed by the Reliance Group. Resistance to the project is fierce here and no official from Reliance can set foot in these villages. `Vishesh arthik shetra hatao sangharsh samitis' — action committees against SEZ — have been formed in every village.

There are 52 villages in the command area of the Hetawane project, proposed in 1980 to irrigate about 5,750 hectares, and provide drinking water to Pen and Navi Mumbai.

Notices served


Mhatre says that in over 20 of these 52 villages, the Government has served land acquisition notices. However, according to law, this is illegal. "There is a law that once land falls in the command area of an irrigation project, it cannot be used for any other purpose."

Since 1983, work on the dam has been in progress and already Rs. 221 crore has been spent. Villagers, who took out a morcha to the dam authorities in Kalwa on June 21 this year, were given an assurance in writing that no one could sell land in the command area and that it could not be used for any other purpose without the express permission of the Irrigation Department.

At a meeting between district officials and activists on August 18, an official said 20 villages from the command area were being acquired for the SEZ. The entire money spent on the plan for irrigation of these villages will go waste. However, a company spokesperson said that the Special Economic Zones Act, 2005, overrides all other laws.

Farmers have plans to develop the area once they get water. Mhatre says if they have irrigation, sugar beet, a five-month crop, can be grown and sugar produced here if the Government sets up a processing factory. They can also grow basmati rice. "Instead of an SEZ, why not a special agriculture zone (SAZ) for us? Wouldn't that be more useful," he asks. Fishing is also a major focal activity.

At Vithalwadi, which is on the coast, fields are nine feet below the sea level. People fear that once the SEZ comes up, land filling will have an adverse impact on their houses.

At Mothebhal, the people suspect every vehicle that enters the area as belonging to Reliance. Uppermost in their minds is the drinking water problem. Kusum Mhatre, a former panchayat member, says, "There is no drinking water and sometimes we have to trek up to Vashi,eight km away. In summer, we have to buy water."

Most of the 1,200 farmers who have got notices for the SEZ, have opposed land acquisition.

In this area, most of the people are small and marginal farmers and about 30 per cent of them are landless. "The SEZ cannot give us jobs; we don't have the skills or education. Finally, we will be displaced," says Mr. Mhatre. Surekha Dalvi of the Shramik Kranti Sanghatana, who has been helping farmers with information on SEZ, endorses the SAZ idea. "This is a green zone according to the Raigad development plan which will be effective till 2011. Why is the Government ignoring these existing development plans and going ahead with the SEZ in violation of law," she asks.

http://www.hindu.com/2006/09/29/stories/2006092900231400.htm