'Delhi Chalo': As farmers raise slogans, santitation, access to toilets key challenges

Undeterred by armed policemen, the maze of barbed wires or water cannons in temperatures at 71-year lows, farmers protesting the Modi government's farm laws came prepared for the long haul with food and water to last them months, however, a big challenge for these farmers who refuse to budge from highways, remains sanitation facilities and access to toilets.

Farmers have blocked the Singhu and Tikri borders for the sixth day now even as top BJP leaders invited them for talks and reassurances. Refusing any conditional talks with the BJP government, farmers stood firm on their demand and warned the government of a heavy price to pay if their voices go unheard.

But with no toilets on the Delhi-Punjab and Delhi-Haryana borders, farmers remain at the mercy of local residents nearby and are compelled to use open fields or plots.

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“Local residents have offered their home toilets for our use. Some residents gave us their phone numbers in case any of us needed to use the washrooms." a farmer camping at the Tikri Border told Hindustan Times. The farmer also acknowledged the scarcity of water for households, as thousands of them require these facilities. " Regular houses only have 500-litre water tanks and we are thousands," he said.

"They (farmers) have been given an offer and the arrangements are better at the Burari instead on the road. On the road, there are issues for commuting. Here, there is no toilet or water, whereas the arrangements in Burari are better," Delhi Police Commissioner S N Shrivastava told PTI.

The farmers, however, have been firm that they would not move to the Burari grounds, calling it an 'open jail' and saying that the de-central location could take the steam off the movement.

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Revenue Minister Kailash Gahlot on Friday issued an order directing district magistrates of North Delhi and Central Delhi to make adequate arrangements for shelter, drinking water, mobile toilets and sanitation services for the farmers in "view of the prevailing winter season and the pandemic”. However, farmers are still relying on nearby fuel stations and residents for toilets.

Concerns by some locals were also raised as farmers used open plots to relieve themselves. If the protest goes on for long, the areas near Singhu and Tikri border may be "unliveable," a storekeeper told the agency.

Addressing a press conference at Singhu border on Monday, a representative of protesting farmers said they want Prime Minister Narendra Modi to listen to their "mann ki baat''.

"Our demands are non-negotiable," he said and claimed that the ruling party "will have to pay a heavy price" if it does not heed to their concerns.

"We have come here to fight a decisive battle," he added.

(With agency inputs)