Rohtak, May 25 -- Leader of the Opposition in Haryana and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Sunday visited district's Rithal village and extended support to farmers protesting over shortage of canal water and the growing drinking water crisis in the region. Addressing the protesters, Hooda said, "Farmers are not getting water for irrigation while people are struggling even for drinking water. The BJP government is responsible for pushing the state into such a situation," he said. Hooda listened to the grievances of farmers and villagers. He also wrote a demi-pfficial letter to CM Nayab Singh Saini regarding the issue. The protesting villagers are alleging that the lining work carried out in the JLN canal in 2022 had stopped groundwater recharge in the area, causing tube wells and hand pumps in nearby villages to turn saline. They expressed concern that the proposed lining of the BSB canal would further worsen the drinking water crisis and affect irrigation in the region. Villagers demanded that the canal bed should remain unlined and earthen from the head to the tail end to ensure groundwater recharge. They also sought construction of ghats at every bridge along the BSB canal and access steps on both sides of the canal at regular intervals. Another major demand raised by villagers was the supply of drinking water from the canal to all villages located within a 10km radius on both sides of the JLN canal. Hooda assured the protesters that he would raise the matter before administrative officials as well as the state government....