Authorities spending money on barricades but not on basic amenities for protesting farmers: Survey

As the farmers' protest at Delhi borders intensifies, a survey has claimed that authorities are not making much effort in providing basic services like sanitation, water supply and solid waste management while "substantial investment" is being made in putting up huge barricades, barbed wires and water cannons near these sites.

The survey conducted by the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA) and Nation for Farmers at five protest points -- Singhu, Tikri, Shahjahanpur, Gazipur and Palwal -- also showed insufficient lighting, water stagnation, and shortage of warm clothes to fight the piercing winter are also troubling the protesters who have gathered to oppose the three contentious farm laws.

It said none of the governments in the states bordering Delhi were making much effort in providing basic services at the protest sites in their jurisdiction though the Delhi government had put in place some mobile toilets on the capital's side of the Singhu border.

Read: Extremely disappointed with negotiation process between Govt & farmers on farm laws, situation very delicate: SC

"On the other hand, at the behest of the Centre and Haryana government, there is a substantial investment in putting up huge barricades, barbed wires and state-of-the-art equipment such as water cannons and 'anti-riot gear' to come down heavily and brutally on protestors, if need be," the survey said.

According to the survey, an inadequate number of mobile toilets and improper maintenance by the authorities have rendered these "toilets dirty and unusable", pushing a considerable number of protesters -- 57.5% of the respondents -- to resort to open defecation.

While only 10.5% of respondents said that these toilets are clean with a proper water supply, 47% felt these locations were in far-off places and there was no provision of lighting around the toilets making it difficult to use them after dark.

"Many women protesters reported that they are eating less and consuming less water to avoid using toilets. Inadequate provisioning of mobile toilets is leading to compromised health, nutrition and hygiene for all protesters, especially women," the survey said.

Also read: Farm laws: It may still be a broken ladder

The majority of the women who needed sanitary pads had to arrange themselves and very few responded that they got pads at medical camps. As many as 31% had to dispose of the used pads by the side of the roads in absence of proper disposal facilities by the local authorities, it said.

Around 23% reported that they do not have access to soaps, which the survey said would further aggravate hygiene problems and "open Pandora's box" of water-borne diseases.

"There is a complete failure of the state machinery in ensuring proper arrangements for sanitation and clean drinking water. While for drinking purposes, protestors have been able to arrange for packaged water, they are forced to use the hard, saline water for bathing and other purposes," it said.

Another issue highlighted by the protesters is water stagnation near the protest site, which is not cleared by authorities. Around 40% observed that there is water stagnation around the protest sites. Nine out of every ten in Gazipur reporting this issue while 62.7% at the Singhu border also reported water stagnation.

On the health front, the report said the majority approaching the medical camps at the protest sites had complained about non-communicable diseases while some were also reporting seasonal flu symptoms. A good proportion had skin disease and injuries.

Though none expressed that they have mental health issues, many doctors at the medical camps observed a high prevalence of stress and mental disorders. Doctors reported fungal infections, sore throat and stomach aches.