RLP's 'Jojri Bachao Rally' ends after late night talks with Balotra collector

Jaipur, Aug 18 (IANS) The Rashtriya Loktantrik Party’s (RLP) Jojri Bachao Maha Rally in Balotra’s Doli village culminated in the early hours of Monday after late-night negotiations with the district administration over the issue of polluted water. Led by MP Hanuman Beniwal, the rally drew thousands of participants, who raised slogans against the administration and demanded immediate action.

Around 1.30 a.m., Beniwal and hundreds of supporters marched from Doli to the Balotra Collectorate. They reached there at 2 a.m. and then surrounded the premises. The demonstration continued through the night, prompting Collector Sushil Kumar Yadav and SP Ramesh Kumar to intervene. After half an hour of negotiations, officials agreed to halt the inflow of dirty water and to begin preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a long-term solution. Following this agreement, Beniwal announced the end of the indefinite protest at 4 a.m.

During the agitation, Beniwal criticized the local leadership, stating, “If Barmer-Balotra leaders had the courage, I wouldn’t need to gherao the Collectorate myself.”

He accused successive governments of failing to act, claiming they offered only "lollipops and speeches."

He added, “We wanted the administration to come forward, but they ignored the crisis. People in 60-70 villages, including Doli, Araba, and Kalyanpur, are suffering from mosquito-borne illnesses and lack of clean water. Women and children are the worst affected.”

Beniwal emphasised that the movement has now grown beyond Doli and become a statewide fight for clean water. He vowed to continue until the region is free from polluted water and called for the revival of all rivers, not just the Jojri. For years, polluted water from textile industries in Jodhpur has been flowing into nearby villages, including Doli, Araba, and Kalyanpur. This has severely impacted agriculture and access to safe drinking water.

Despite repeated appeals by villagers, no lasting solution was offered, prompting the RLP to escalate the matter through a mass movement.

In the late-night talks, the administration committed to halt the inflow of dirty water immediately, suspend current contaminated water supply, initiate the DPR process for permanent disposal measures.

Further, a memorandum was also submitted to the Chief Minister by the RLP delegation. Beniwal concluded by reaffirming his party’s commitment: “RLP will continue to fight for every caste and class -- from Barmer to Chambal, from Ganganagar to Dungarpur. Balotra is our stronghold, and we won’t let our people suffer.”

--IANS

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