Indian sugar mills association

Maharashtra has more sugarcane than reported by the agriculture department: BJP

Date:	07 Dec 2015

Source:	The Economic Times

Reporter:	ET Bureau

News ID:	5028

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PUNE: Madhav Bhandari, chief spokesperson, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Maharashtra unit claims that there is more sugarcane plantation in Maharashtra than reported by the state's agriculture. He said that the state needs to rethink over the sugar industry and the sugarcane plantation.

Speaking to ET on the sidelines of a function about implementing a pilot project for equitable water distribution in the Chikotra river basin of Maharashtra, Bhandari said, "There could be about 7% to 10% excess cane in Maharashtra than reported by the agriculture department. The sugar industry needs huge water and many a times it is stolen."

Even as Bhandari called for rethinking over sugarcane, the sugar industry in the country has already been complaining that the BJP government in the centre is thinks that the sugar industry is 'pampered' and that it is tough to get assistance from the central government.

"There is water scarcity in the state. We are supplying water to villages by tankers. But next to the tankers stands the sugarcane crop. The permanently drought-prone Solapur district has highest number of sugar mills in the state. It is a myth that sugar industry is a boon. It has used huge government money and defaulted on paying farmers their money. If it is a boon, then it is boon for a select few in the state. Experts tell us that only a limited area of Maharashtra can get irrigation. But all the irrigated area is under sugarcane and other crops are dying," said Bhandari in his address.

He added, "Dams were built in the state in the name of agriculture. But most of the water is used for drinking water requirements of cities. Then the second priority is given to industries and agriculture gets the remaining water."

Water expert Pradeep Purandare too blamed the sugarcane crop for the water scarcity in the state. "Firstly there is no clarity about each stakeholders right over water yet. Industry still continues to get preference over agriculture when it comes to water distribution. And in agriculture, it is sugarcane crop, which consumes the maximum water," said Purandare.

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