Advocating for an all-round effort to make funds available for rejuvenation of polluted rivers in the State, Cabinet Minister Saryu Roy has said that he would request the Government to divert a portion of fund allocated to newly constructed District Mining Fund (DMF) towards the well being of river projects.
Roy, Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, made an extensive visit to a number of locations along one of the most polluted rivers of Jharkhand-Damodar on Sunday.
In the course of his visit which started from Sindri followed by Chasnala, Sudamdih and finally ended at Madhuban for the day measuring around 100 Km altogether, he collected samples of water from those locations and said that the test reports will be shared with the Center.
“Bharat Coking Coal limited (BCCl) and Steel Authority of India limited (SAIl) have not stopped dumping their waste into rivers, which is turning situation around those areas like hell. I will speak to the Ministers concerned in my government so that a proper and timely action is taken before situation goes out of control,” after the visit he said while terming the river pollution level in the areas as just devastating.
Roy, who has been fighting for conservation of water and against pollution of rivers for more than a decade, added, “Quality of river water in Jharkhand is worsening day by day and current situation is alarming than ever before. Most of the rivers here in the State are more polluted than declared on any authentic parameter available in India including the one of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).”
Roy said that he would also suggest State as well as the Center to spend a share of funds allocated for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on betterment of the health of rivers in the State. His efforts to get rivers of state clean would continue for some days, and he has planned to visit Chandrapura on Monday.
CPCB had last year identified 207 Km of stretches along eight rivers where the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) level has exceeded the permissible limits. CPCB had monitored the water quality at 31 locations on 14 rivers of Jharkhand. Of these, 14 locations on eight rivers —Damodar, Subernrekha, Karo, Koel, Bokaro, North Koel, Jumer and Sankh were not found complying with the water quality criteria.
Earlier this month, Union Minister for Water Resources Uma Bharti had launched a series of initiatives, which were aimed at checking pollution in the river Ganga along its stretch in Jharkhand.
Speaking at an event in Sahibganj, she said nine initiatives have been taken for effective management of solid and liquid waste and participation of local governing agencies in the same. An official statement from her ministry said that eight village-level crematoriums, 32 bathing ghats and 40 community toilets are to be built along the 83-km stretch of the river in the state.