Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 1: MLA, M. Y. Tarigami, who is chairman of the Committee on Environment (EC) of Legislative Assembly, has urged for pooling all the resources to maintain water quality in various water sources including water supply schemes, water bodies and Irrigation Khuls and wetlands.
He said quality standard as laid down in the Environment Act needs to be followed in letter and spirit by the Public Health Engineering (PHE), Irrigation and Flood Control departments, adding that Lakes and Water Ways Development Authority and State Pollution Control (PCB) and the Directorate of Environment have an onerous duty in this regard.
Speaking at the meeting of the EC held in the Central Hall of Legislature today, Mr. Tarigami asked the concerned departments to come up with concrete measures and plans to address factors responsible for contaminating water sources in the State especially water for human consumption. He said measures taken up so far in this regard were not upto the mark which was a cause of serious concern.
Legislators, Mohammad Sharief Niaz, Yash Paul Kundal, Rashpaul Singh and Prof. Garu Ram Bhagat attended the meeting and gave their valuable suggestions for conservation of water bodies and checking water polluting factors in the State.
They also called for an appropriate flood strategy which is one of the causes of water pollution besides damaging valuable life and property of the people, adding that an interdepartmental report about causes of water impurity and remedial measures for study of the EC. The report should be submitted to the Assembly Secretariat within a month for examination of the Committee members. The panel also directed the concerned departments for launching vigorous awareness campaign about importance of checking water pollution.
Mr. Tarigami said that drinking water being supplied to the people should be wholesome, free from impurities, adding that water testing laboratories should be set up at district levels besides establishing sewerage treatment plants in each district.
Earlier, Principal Secretary, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Dr. Pawan Kotwal briefed the Committee about the measures underway to improve water quality in various sources in the State.
Secretary, Forest Mohammad Afzal and Director Environment and Remote Sensing Suresh Chug also briefed the Committee about the measures taken by the Forest Department for conservation of the water bodies of the State.
Among others, PCCF Wild Life A.K. Singh, Special Secretary M.R. Singh and other officers of Forest and its sister wings besides Assembly Secretariat attended the meeting.
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