Former CM Hooda Visits Protesting Farmers in Rithal; Directs Officials to Accept Demands
Former Chief Minister of Haryana and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda stated that entire Haryana is currently under the grip of severe shortages of electricity and water.
Girish Saini
May 24, 2026 09:52
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Rohtak, May 24, 2026: Former Chief Minister of Haryana and Leader of the Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda stated that entire Haryana is currently under the grip of severe shortages of electricity and water.
“Farmers are unable to access water for irrigation, and the general public lacks access to drinking water. The BJP government is responsible for this dire situation,” he said.
Former CM Hooda visited Rithal village to meet with farmers from several surrounding villages who are currently staging a dharna. On this occasion, he listened to the farmers' grievances and issued on-the-spot directives to officials to accept the villagers' demands. He also, wrote a DO letter to the Chief Minister.
In addition to seeking an adequate supply of canal water, the villagers complained that the lining of the JLN canal bed in 2022 has completely halted groundwater recharge. Consequently, the water in nearby tube wells and hand pumps has turned entirely saline. To make matters worse, the government is now proceeding to line the bed of the BSB canal as well. This move is expected to severely exacerbate the drinking water crisis in the region, making it extremely difficult to access water for both drinking and irrigation purposes.
Therefore, the villagers have demanded that the canal bed be kept unlined (earthen) from the head to the tail end. Furthermore, they have demanded the construction of ‘ghaats’ at every bridge along the BSB canal, as well as the construction of access steps on both banks at appropriate intervals. The villagers have also demanded that all villages situated within a 10-kilometer radius on either side of the JLN canal be provided with drinking water directly from the canal.
Former CM Hooda affirmed that the villagers' demands are entirely legitimate. He assured them that he would raise their demands at every level, from the administrative officials to the state government, and would make every possible effort to ensure that these demands are fulfilled.
