MPs voice concern over water contamination in Lok Sabha

NEW DELHI: Demands for clean and more water was today made in Lok Sabha by several members who projected the plight of people facing shortage of potable water.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Hema Malini (BJP), who represents Mathura, said as the Yamuna has become a "dirty drain" full of sewage released from Delhi, people in the holy city and the pilgrims faced a horrible situation.

She said a study carried out by The Energy Resources Institute (TERI) has showed a lot of lead poisoning in the Yamuna waters and it has caused a lot of health problems to people in and around Mathura.

Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the way he has started work on cleaning of rivers, she pleaded for urgent efforts to change the situation on the Yamuna. She pitched for two gates of the Hathnikund barrage of the Yamuna to remain open and stoppage of sewage from Delhi being drained into the river.

Kirron Kher (BJP), who represents Chandigarh, sought more water from the Bhakra Dam to the Union territory contending the most modern city in the country was suffering from lack of water due to growing population.

Dushyant Chautala (INLD) drew the government's attention to the dharna of farmers in Haryana agitated over additional release of waters for Delhi for supplying to Dwarka and surrounding areas. He said farmers are themselves facing problems of potable water and have to buy it from water tankers.

Chhotey Lal (BJP) sought more water for irrigating crops in his constituency of Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh. He lamented that there was not much area under irrigation in his district despite the fact that seven rivers pass through it.