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Pumping Pressure
Interview Transcripts
Pumping pressure transcript from interviews
with Manund Cooperative - in Mehsana District, Gujarat. The
Manund Cooperative has been set up to help poor farmers get
a fair price to water which is becoming prohibitively expensive
due to falling groundwater levels.
00 06 22: These co-op that have been set up, so that the farmers
produce more, people become more happier, people are happier
due to the government's plans, that's why we have set up this
co-op, we'll get water daily, production increase, and people
get happier.
00 06 44: This assembly that we have called, its message (aim)
is that, these questions with water, daily have gone down
1000ft and is drying out. Now what we have to do for that,
work out how are we going to water underground. How are we
going to collect water, how are we going to reach daily solutions,
that's why we have set up this water collection maintenance.
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00
08 19: When this committee was established, and when there
was this question of water, even if they did not have
the strength to become a member of the share-cooperative,
they were still given water. |
This (current) situation is a bad situation
and if they want to get a share of it they will be newly admitted
for it they can for the water
00 09 57: The other question is that, until now, there was every
bit of accomplishment (success), but the government's arrangement,
the power that we use to get 16 to 24 hours a day, has become
6-8 hours. 25% of the farmer's crops have dried out. If the
government administration isn't effective, our arrangements
are wasted. Our arrangements are wasted if we don't get power.
00 11 59: The question that has arisen is that if this year's
rain is less - the government does reserves. We are doing the
planning for getting the water down into the ground, if we're
strong then we'll live. The rains may come, they may not come.
The ground water may fall to 1000-1500, then we will have to
stop the tube well (i.e. getting water from it as the level
has fallen too low). That's why we have to make the arrangements.
To get the water down. The water that God gives, the majority
should go down into the ground.
00 14 00: The water supply will run out in 5 years, the people
will give up and if the government helps and places tubes in
the ground and drains water through them, then there water in
the ground, then something can be gained (achieved), if not
when the people in 5-10 years time will surrender and the people
here have no other trade than farming, they have no businesses.
The depth is falling by 20 feet each year and the water that
comes from the tubes is hot which means it can be used for farming.
00 15 32: The electricity problem has increased, if we got 16
hours of electricity then we can farm. This year we got 8 hours
of electricity - the harvest was damaged. The farmer didn't
get the harvest that he needed, and the cost was the same. The
farmer suffered a loss of 25 - 30 - 40%. The suffered that much
of a loss, and the harvest was smaller. Therefore if the government
gave the full electricity supply then the farmers can be happy.
00 16 07: The other thing is the reason why these farmers are
more successful with this arrangement is that the privately
sold seeds are more expensive, the co-operative seeds are less.
The farmers get a rebate for it. That's good for the progress
of farmers. Correct.
00.23.43: If we don't get water for farming, then there's no
path for us. There's no road for us, if we don't get (have)
his water, if we can't irrigate the water. If we don't get the
water for the irrigation of our fields, there is not a situation
where our next generation can live here!
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