Parliamentary panel on water resources visits Varanasi

VARANASI: The chairman and 12 other members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources today arrived here to take stock of water situation in the city and will hold discussions with the officials of state and central governments concerned on the matter.

Committee chairman Hukum Singh said the committee members will be here for two days during which they will visit sites to know the ground realities concerning the rising pollution of Ganga river and depletion in groundwater level.

Singh said it is a matter of serious concern that in the country only nearly 30 per cent of sewage water is being flowed in the Ganga river after its treatment whereas nearly 70 per cent flows directly into the river.

The Narendra Modi government has pledged to clean the river and reduce its pollution level and also efforts are being made in this direction to set up more and more sewerage treatment plants in all the cities especially those situated on the banks of the Ganga at the earliest, he added.

The Standing Committee members today held discussions with the officials of concerned state and central government departments. It will inspect the water supply system, sewage treatment plants and several other sites tomorrow.

Singh said emphasis should be laid on rain water harvesting using the latest technology so that the depletion of groundwater may get reduced and efforts should be made for groundwater recharging.

He said the Parliamentary Standing Committee is preparing study reports on water resources in the country. The reports will soon be tabled in Parliament after which the government will work in this direction to improve the condition of water resource system in the country.