A Janpanchayat on drought and water problems was held in Daltonganj on 9 June 2016. The panchayat was jointly organized by seven organizations including Jharkhand Jan Sangharsh Morcha, IFTA, NREGA Watch, Gram Swaraj Mazdoor Sangh, Dihadi Mazdoor Union, CPI (ML), and AIPF. These organizations had prepared for the panchayat by holding gram sabhas in 40 villages over a period of 2 months. The main issue for the Janpanchayat was finding a permanent solution to the drought problem and water problem. About 2,500 people from across the district participated in the Janpanchayat. Apart from the representatives of the organizations, many other people also expressed their views at the Janpanchayat.
In the course of discussions, the view emerged that a series of sustained campaigns should be undertaken in the villages in preparation for a big political agitation on these issues in Palamu block so that the political claims can be put forward for the solution to these issues and the pro-corporate communal administration-politicians can be challenged. It also emerged during the discussions that thousands of ponds which earlier used to be the means for water storage are defunct today and the need of the hour is to renovate them. Many irrigation projects and canals are also in urgent need of renovation and some are incomplete and in immediate need of completion. In this way attempts can be made to solve the water problem permanently and also tackle the drought situation. The political campaign ahead of the agitation must focus on these concrete issues.
