Villagers, activists come together in Rajasthan to save  johad land for public use

Unique 90-day-long dharna in Nawalgarh raises issue of change of land use

Villagers, activists and concerned citizens have come together to save a  johad land, measuring 225 bighas, near Jhunjhunu district’s Nawalgarh town for public use. A unique 90-day-long dharna has raised the issue of attempts being made by the local authorities to change the land use to facilitate its sale for commercial purposes.

The Badrana  johad land was donated by the erstwhile landlords in the princely state for grazing of cattle, providing drinking water to travellers and organising a cattle fair. The land at present belongs to a public charitable trust, named after Badri Prasad Goenka, whose nature cannot be changed. The Nawalgarh Master Plan-2031, approved in 2012, also showed it as an open land with vegetation.

The Badrana Johad Bachao Sangharsh Samiti, staging a dharna in front of the Nawalgarh Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s office, has accused the land mafia of trying to get control of the land with the support of local politicians through the proposed changes to the master plan.

Local residents and the Samiti’s activists have opposed a recent action of the Nawalgarh Municipal Council to dig the land for construction of a road cutting through the  johad. Samiti’s convener Virendra Sunda told  The Hindu that a large number of khejri trees had also been cut down to level the land for the road.

Badrana  johad was the venue of the Shekhawati region’s biggest annual cattle fair till a couple of years ago. Cattle rearers from neighbouring Haryana and Uttar Pradesh used to come with their animals and take part in various activities and events during the fair. While the fair stopped during the pandemic, the Municipal Council passed a resolution for using 60% of the land for commercial purposes.

Mr. Sunda, who is a former Municipal Councillor, alleged that local politicians were trying to influence the administration for changing the land use, which would pave the way for construction of a full-fledged market. “A step-well in the land, destroyed during the controversy, has been rebuilt, but it has lost its original shape,” he said.

Congress MLA from Nawalgarh Rajkumar Sharma has announced that a trauma centre would be built on the land and dedicated to people, while the cost of construction would be borne by the trust. The local residents have pointed out that this will be in violation of a 2017 judgment of Rajasthan High Court, which had ordered the land use strictly in compliance with the master plan.