Water supply issue: BIFA alleges construction of irrigation channels without using cement materials

Denying the media allegations that Bhutan has stopped irrigation water supply to farmers in Assam, the Bhutan India Friendship Association (BIFA), Samdrupjongkhar Chapter said that most of the irrigation water channels are temporarily built without applying cement materials by India resulting damage of water channels causing water supply disruption.

“Most of the irrigation channels/ Dongs are temporarily built without applying cement materials by our Indian Friends. Therefore, washing away of irrigation channels at the time of heavy rainfall may disturb water supply to some extent in spite of our hard and sincere works,” the association stated.

There are more than dozen water sources located inside Bhutan stretching from places such as Daifam-Udalguri, Bhangtar - Samrang, Motonga-BokaJulee and Samdrupjongkhar town - Patkikulee.  

The association further claimed that neither the Royal government nor the people of the nation stopped supply of water to the farmers along the Indo-Bhutan border.

The response came after reports of farmers of the adjoining areas of Tamulpur, Baksa district in Assam, near the Bhutan border of Kalipur, Bogajuli, Kalandi leaving their fields to protests on roads. The farmers of areas in the vicinity of Bhutan including Samdrop Jhankar in Assam, India are dependent on the Kalindi river as they operate on a rain-fed irrigation model.

Also read: Bhutan rejects ‘blocking water to Assam’ charge; speaks of age-old friendship with India

The association further said that over the past three months, the district administration, Mayor Office, Sub-division administration, COVID-19 task force, volunteers from government services, students and members of the local communities have been continuously working provide water supply from Bhutan to farmers in India at the free of cost.

It may be mentioned that the continuous rainfall at the high mountain ranges in Bhutan has caused the sudden increase in water levels of the rivers.

On June 26^th, 2020, Bhutan issued a clarification regarding media allegations that the country has stopped the supply of irrigation water to areas in Assam. It called these reports “totally baseless” and a “deliberate attempt by vested interests to cause misunderstanding between the friendly people of Bhutan & Assam”.

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