NIT earmarks 500 acres rich farm land for garbage dump yard

The Times of India , Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Correspondent : AnjayaAnparthi
Nagpur: Sixty-year-old farmer widow Kamlabai Kale from village Borgaon (Khurd) inKalmeshwar tehsil of Nagpur district owns 15 acres fertile agriculture land that is sole source of income for her and her three sons. Her farm is now part of the land thatNagpur Improvement Trust (NIT)'s development plan (DP) for metro region reserves for garbage dump yard. Kamlabai's house in village also under the reservation. She is left with no option but to lose her farm as well as her village.

"I lost my husband four years ago. I now cultivate my land and run my family. My sons are uneducated and also dependent upon the same land. I also have a 3 lakh loan. NIT issued a notice to us last year and it was in English. I came to know from other villagers that NIT will acquire my land and pay meagre compensation as per ready reckoner value. That land is our lifeline and not money. What is my and my sons' future," Kamlabai said.

Hers is not the only case. Future of around 4,000 farmers in Borgaon (Khurd), Bellori (Budruk) in Kalmeshwar tehsil, Sillori in Saoner tehsil and Titur in Kuhi tehsil and their family members is in dark. NIT reserved 490.295 acres (198.50 hectares) fertile agricultural land in these four villages for a dump yard for Nagpur city. Farmers under the banner of Jai Jawan Jai Kisan staged demonstration in front of NIT head office on Tuesday demanding that their sole source of livelihood be exempted.

Sarpanch of BorgaonPradipGudadhe told TOI NIT even dumped the resolutionpassed by gram sabha. "NIT had invited suggestions and objections on draft of DP. Resolution was passed opposing the dump yard and submitted to the NIT. Individual villagers also submitted their objection. Still NIT made no changes in final draft of DP," he said.

Calling it a scam, president of Jain Jawan Jai Kisan Prashant Pawar said NIT was in nexus with builders and developers and hence placed reservations on fertile lands. "Four villages are having quarries that are ideal for dump yard. Huge swathes of barren land is available in other parts of the district. Still this fertile patch has been chosen. There are no reservations on lands owed by builders and developers. NIT sanctioned residential layouts in metro region even though DP is yet to be sanctioned by the government. Big claims of government working for farmers are a lie," he fumed.

Pawar said government should come up with plan for treatment and reuse of garbage at source levels itself in order to save agricultural lands. He also condemned NIT chairman Dipak Mhaisekar who refused to meet the farmers. "We requested a place for women agitators to sit but it was refused by the NIT. Police force was used to throw away all farmers from NIT. I too sustained injuries," he said.

Activist VijaykumarShinde said around 10,000 farmers will be affected as land adjacent to proposed reservation areas are also fertilie. "Kalmeshwar town itself will be impacted by presence of garbage yard. Town gets drinking water from lake situated near it and it will get polluted when the yard comes up," he said.

NIT official said they were planning reduce reservation in these villages. "Reservation of dumping yard has nothing to do soil condition. Committee of experts identified 18 villages of which four were selected as per geographical condition. Priority is given to prevent water, soil and air pollution," he said. MNS delegation led by Hemant Gadkari also met collector SachinKurve and demanded that reservation of dump yard be scrapped.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/NIT-earmarks-500-acres-rich-farm-land-for-garbage-dump-yard/articleshow/53405730.cms
 


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