Chief Minister Raghubar Das has requested to the Centre to include the Subarnarekha and the Damodar rivers into National River Conservation Scheme.
In his letter to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javdekar, the CM has underlined the importance of the rivers for the people of the State. “After becoming the capital of Jharkhand, various economic and industrial activities have grown in Ranchi and the city has expanded. This has taken its toll on the important rivers of Jharkhand which is evident in the report of the CPCB on water quality of the Subarnarekha,” the letter reads.
Das in the process had also referred to a directive given by the Jharkhand High Court that had taken suo motu cognizance of the sorry state of pollution in the river and ordered the Government to keep the river clean. The Subarnarekha is flowing with all the sewerage and drainage affluent of the city. Just `1,319 crore has been kept in the DPR prepared for sewerage system of Ranchi.
Also, the CM drew attention of the Centre towards another suffocating river the Damodar and requested to include it in Namami Gange project. “Rivers are integral part of our eco-system and conserving rivers is the most important work of human civilisation. Underground water level is decreasing gradually which is a matter of great concern. In order to preserve flora & fauna, we will have to conserve the rivers. Damodar is a tributary of Ganga and it should be included in the project,” wrote the CM to Uma Bharati, Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation. The proposal was also raised in the meeting of NGRBA chaired by the Prime Minister. Damodar flows 300 kilometers in Jharkhand.