ગુજરાતી
English
Valuable crops in danger due to sudden closure of Kakrapar canal, protest
Dilip Patel
12-13 September 2025
The decision of the Superintending Engineer of Surat Irrigation Division to stop the flow of irrigation water in the canals of Kakrapar right bank section for 90 days from 1 December 2025 to 28 February 2026 is being opposed. The canal will be closed for repair and renovation of Kankrapar right bank canals.
Stoppage of irrigation water will cause huge losses to farmers growing sugarcane, paddy, vegetables, cotton and animal husbandry. It is very important to prepare a report by studying the effects of the loss in detail. Which has not happened yet.
To collect water for irrigation from an area of 88 square kilometers near Kakrapar village in Mandvi taluka of Surat district, a 15.48 meter high and 633 meter long Jawahar Lal Canal Dam was built on the Tapi river in 1954 during the Congress government at a cost of Rs 24 crore.
This provides irrigation to farmers of 886 villages.
Two 64 kilometer long canals have been built on both sides of the Tapi river to supply water to the farmers’ fields. A total of 4 lakh 50 thousand hectares of land is irrigated on the right and left banks. In which 1 lakh 20 thousand hectares of land is irrigated from the right canal and 1 lakh 45 thousand hectares of land is irrigated from the left bank.
The crops of about 50 thousand farmers on the right bank have come under threat.
Has any investigation been conducted to find out the strength of the structures? The agency to which the contract for repairing the structures has been given has not been announced yet.
This decision has been taken by the Irrigation Department without conducting a detailed study on the matter affecting the livelihood of lakhs of farmers and causing economic loss.
So that the decision to close the canals of Kakrapal right bank section is canceled.
Countrywide movement
There is a plan to give water to industries by putting guns on the shoulders of farmers. If the decision to stop water is not canceled on the 15th, then 10 thousand farmers will take out a rally and surround the irrigation department. Roads will be blocked. On September 28, 2025, a meeting of 10 thousand farmers will be held at Gaypagla in Kamarej. In which farmer leaders from all over the country will participate.
A meeting of farmers, cattle breeders and cooperative leaders was organized in Olpad by Kisan Samaj Gujarat. A large number of farmers were present from Olpad, Kamarej, Mangrol, Choryasi, Mahuva, Hansot and other talukas.
A rally of farmers was taken out and two petitions were submitted to the Olpad province and Deputy Collector.
The state level irrigation minister along with the chairmen of sugar mills and chairmen of co-operative societies selling cotton and paddy were present at the office of Purushottam Farms Company Limited at Jahangirpura.
The decision to close the canal was to be announced after discussion in the Irrigation Advisory Committee. Before closing the canal, it is necessary to announce it one year in advance and inform the farmers personally. So that farmers can plan sowing in their fields in advance.
Without any prior notice, closing the canal for 90 days from December 1, 2025 will damage the Kharif, Rabi and Summer crops in the farmers’ fields. Farmers are likely to suffer irreparable loss.
This amount is to be spent from the tribal area.
It is not possible to answer for how many days the canal will remain closed due to the breakage of canals. Rs 250 crore was spent on the repair of these canals in the year 2013-14.
Did not break for 70 years, canal broke in 10 years
The water storage of Kakrapar dam is 1820 million cubic feet. Its canals did not break for 70 years, they were newly built and became ruins in 10 years. 8 years ago, the right bank canal was eroded in Andhatri village near Mandvi taluka and Jhankhwav road.
The right bank Kakrapar canal was constructed 10 years ago in 2015 with cement concrete.
When the repair and renovation work of the canal was going on, the farmers complained to the BJP government that poor work was being done using poor quality material. Canals made of clay in 1954 during Nehru’s time and even after 70 years the canals are safe. The cement canals made during the BJP’s time broke in 10 years.
Now the renovation work of the cement canal built with Rs 20 crore has been completed. The same fate will befall the project costing Rs 250 crore.
Despite complaints of poor construction of the canal, the canal department has not taken any concrete steps regarding the situation. The breakage of the Kakrapar right bank canal at Andhatri village in Mandvi taluka may again create trouble for the farmers.
Claim in 2024
The government claims that irrigation water is now reaching 1034 villages in four districts of South Gujarat from the Kakrapar canal.
Minister of State for Water Supply Mukesh Patel told the Assembly in 2024 that 2 lakh 65 thousand 259 hectares of land in 1034 villages of Surat, Navsari, Valsad and Bharuch districts are irrigated from the Kakrapar main canal. The length of the left bank main canal is 10 kilometers and its water-carrying capacity is 3850 cusecs. The length of the right bank main canal is 64 kilometers and its water-carrying capacity is 3500 cusecs.
The original water carrying capacity of Kakrapar right bank main canal was 2480 cusecs. It was claimed that it was increased by 1020 cusecs. Rs 386 crore was spent on this. Due to the increase in water carrying capacity, about 1 lakh 19 thousand hectares of area of 313 villages in 8 talukas of Surat and Bharuch districts got additional irrigation.
