Taking note of the serious concern expressed by MPs cutting across party lines over the pathetic condition of the Ganga and the Yamuna, the Government on Monday assured Parliament that it will take measures to reduce the pollution in the river especially in Delhi, Mathura and Vrindavan.
Admitting that Yamuna in the Capital has become no good thatn a sewer as there is no inflow of water from upper riparian States and only polluted water from 22 drains were flowing into it, Environment and Forest Minister Jayanthi Natarajan said that a high-level committee constituted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would soon meet to discuss steps to ensure flow of water into Yamuna from neighbouring States. The committee, headed by Water Resources Minister Harish Rawat, has the Chief Ministers of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh as members.
Addressing the concern expressed by Deputy leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ravi Shankar Prasad, Natarajan assured members that in view of the religious and historical importance of Mathura and Vrindavan, she would personally look into what innovative measures that can be taken to reduce pollution in Yamuna in these places. She also proposed to set up a Commission to check atrocities against Ganga and other rivers on the lines of those constituted to check against women or SC/STs which could act swift and stringent action against polluting industries.
Natarajan said that sewage treatment plants are either not working due to non-availability of power while in Delhi their construction is faulty with treated sewage getting mixed with the effluent again thereby there is no reduction in pollution being visible.
Initiating a short duration discussion on increasing pollution in rivers, Prasad charged that despite spending `5,467 crore in Yamuna Action Plan, the water is polluted and wanted the Government to bring out a white paper on how money meant for Ganga and Yamuna Action Plans were spent. He also wanted the Government to take effective action against the polluting industries and set up a River Regulation Zone to check spate of urbanisation and construction on river beds. Members from various parties, including Congress, BJP, SP, BSP and RJD, raised similar concerns in the House.
In lok Sabha raising the issue during Zero Hour, leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj asked the government to take immediate and long- term measures as the life and livelihood of farmers and the people were being seriously affected. Observing that thousands of farmers led by activists and religious leaders have reached Delhi seeking a clean Yamuna river, she said in spite of thousands of crores being spent on Yamuna Action Plan, there has been no improvement at all. “The river remains thoroughly polluted and has dried up in Mathura and Vrindavan,” she said. Taking a dig at the government, Swaraj said, “If the river had passed through Rae Bareli, these problems would have been taken care of much earlier. Soniaji is so powerful.”
Natarajan’s explanation that since 90 per cent of the water passing through the Hathnikund barrage is being used for farming water is not reaching Yamuna in Delhi, did not satisfy Sushma and other members who pointed out that Congress was in power at the Centre, in Delhi and in Haryana. wanted a discussion and time-bound concrete action by the Government, with Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan assuring them that Government would take steps to protect the river.