Over 25,000 families from Palghar and Dahanu's tribal areas fear extinction if the state irrigation department continues to divert water from Surya Dam to quench the thirst of urban areas like Vasai, Mira-Bhayandar and Virar. After staging a protest last week, the residents are now waiting for a date with the CM.

Surya Dam was built in 1989 to irrigate 14,696 hectare of farm land of tribals in Palghar and Dahanu. "Though the dam was built, the canals were not constructed properly because of which the farmers would not get water for cultivation," said Brian Lobo, Kashtakari Sanghatna, Palghar, and added, "The state irrigation department decided to divert 33 per cent or 100 MLD of the water to urban areas." The decision to divert the water was taken in 1989 and was meant for the first six years but was later extended in 2011 with an additional diversion of 400 MLD.

"Now they want to divert 46 per cent more water which equals to 79 per cent of total diversion," he added. If this happens, over 25,000 families that need the water for cultivation will lose their source of livelihood.

They want to know why urban areas take away their water instead of building up their own water resources. "As per the water policy the urban areas have to recycle 50% of the water they take from dams. Except for a few housing societies there is no recycling or rain-water harvesting done in cities which is as per the law," he says.

The farmers question why they should suffer if urban areas are not able to mend their ways. "This Surya dam project was for tribal development. You cannot take away our source of livelihood and take more and more water. We do not have water for drinking or irrigation," he says. They say that people misunderstand that the long march of farmers was because they are in debt. "If you do not give us water then we will fall in debt," he says.

Hence, from March 19 to March 22 they staged a protest in front of Palghar district collector office and withdrew it after an assurance of a meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.. "We have raised this issue for many times in the past. But it is for the first time that a CM has agreed to sit with us and discuss. "Now we are just waiting to hear from the CM's office to know the date of meeting," he adds.