A hunger strike demanding drought relief, water transfers and direct financial support for livestock owners began outside the Sangola tehsil office in Solapur district on Thursday, according to a report by Sakal. The protesters have warned that they will attempt to shut the tehsil office and bring cattle to the premises if the government does not take a positive decision by Monday.
The protest has been launched by Prafull Kadam, leader of the Kisan Army and Water Army, under the banner of the Maharashtra Drought-Free Hunger Strike. The organisers are seeking access to what they describe as the rightful water share of drought-affected areas, along with direct assistance for farmers and livestock owners.
The main water-related demand is that 116 TMC of water from the Tata-Koyna project, described by the protesters as flowing into the sea, should be diverted to drought-affected areas of western Maharashtra and Marathwada. The proposed route would use the Ujani, Neera canal, Tembhu, Mhaisal, Jihe-Kathapur and Urmodi projects.
The protesters have also sought approval for a proposal to transfer an additional 249 TMC of water from northern Konkan to the rest of Maharashtra and southern India through parallel pipelines and tunnels. The report does not state that the government has accepted either demand or provide an official response to the proposals.
A second major demand concerns livestock relief. The organisers want the government to replace fodder camps with direct payments into livestock owners’ bank accounts. They have sought daily assistance of Rs 150 for large animals and Rs 100 for small animals.
The protest received support from several local organisations on its first day. The Jai Jawan Ex-Servicemen’s Association held a rally through Sangola, while the Sangola Bar Association, Prahar organisation, Youth Congress and the Republican Party of India publicly backed the hunger strike, the report said.
The opening of the protest included an abhishek ceremony at the shrine of Shri Shambhu Mahadev. The Dhuldev Gaji-Dhol group from Shelkewadi-Shivane performed traditional art, and bhajan groups offered devotional performances with cymbals and mridangam instruments at the protest site.
The organisers have set Monday as the next escalation point. Their warning to close the Sangola tehsil office and bring animals there makes the administration’s response the immediate focus of the protest. The supplied report does not mention any government order, negotiation outcome or official timetable for addressing the water and livestock-relief demands.
