Jaipur: Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) MP Rajkumar Roat has urged the Rajasthan govt to prioritise drinking water and irrigation needs of tribal districts in southern Rajasthan before diverting surplus water from the Mahi Basin to other parts of the state.In a letter to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and water resources minister Suresh Singh Rawat Tuesday, Roat objected to the state’s proposed plan to channel surplus monsoon water from the Mahi River through a feeder canal to the Som-Kamla-Amba project and eventually to Jalore and other arid districts.The proposal was announced in the 2026-27 state budget, which earmarked Rs 5,900 crore for transferring excess monsoon flows from the Mahi River system.Roat argued that Banswara, Dungarpur, and Pratapgarh, which form Rajasthan’s tribal belt, are heavily dependent on rain-fed water sources and continue to face recurring water shortages despite being located in a river-rich region.“First quench the thirst of these regions before planning to send water elsewhere,” Roat said, alleging that diverting water from the region would be unfair to local tribal communities.He claimed that a significant portion of water from rivers in southern Rajasthan already flows into Gujarat and that local farmers and residents continue to face water scarcity due to inadequate storage and irrigation infrastructure.The MP highlighted several drought-prone areas, including Peepalkhunt, Suhagpura and Arnod in Pratapgarh district; Ghatol, Ganoda, Chhoti Sarwan, Danpur, Ambapura, Kushalgarh and Sajjangarh in Banswara; and Sagwara, Galiyakot, Chikhli, Simalwara, Jothri, Bichhiwara, Gamdi Ahada and Sabla in Dungarpur district.According to Roat, recurring drought conditions in these areas force many residents to migrate seasonally to Gujarat and other states in search of employment.He demanded that available water resources in the tribal region be utilised first for local irrigation projects, drinking water supply and agricultural needs. Strengthening water availability in the region, he said, would help improve farm incomes and reduce distress migration.The state govt has maintained that the proposed project is aimed at utilising surplus monsoon water and improving water availability in drought-prone districts across Rajasthan.
