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Bhubaneswar, June 10: Farmers from different parts of the state and experts on drought came together at CYSD Auditorium Friday to discuss measures to prevent famine in Orissa.
Speakers at the event — a state-level seminar on the theme ‘Condition and Prevention of Drought in Orissa’ organised by the voluntary organisation ActionAid — gave several suggestions for water management.
Chief speaker ‘Waterman of India’ Rajendra Singh, who has received the Magsaysay award for the rainwater harvesting system he successfully devised in Rajasthan, said: “Failure of governance leads to drought and we need to ensure rights of land, seeds, water to people. The people need to govern themselves and take decisions for sustainable conservation of water.”
He also drove home the point that the state should take all necessary endeavors to conserve and manage water by strengthening gram sabhas.
According to Singh, “creating community domain system rather than contract domain system” was essential. “Water ownership has been offered to industries owing to which poor people of Orissa have been suffering. It is time to enact a ‘Water Right Act’ so that farmers and common people can claim their right to the life-giving liquid,” Singh said. At present he is working for farmers of Bargarh, Mayurbhanj and Keonjhar.
Rukmini Rao, an agriculturist and expert, said: “The government should take policy measures for building sustainable agriculture by strengthening millet-based farming and traditional agriculture. They should be supported to produce seeds of their own.”
Scores of farmers from Bargarh, Kandhamal, Sundergarh, Ganjam, Bolangir, Koraput and Nuapada attended the seminar.