Water is going to be the most precious commodity for human beings and the animals in years to come. Water bodies and water resources are drying up fast in developing countries like India. Here is enormous developmental activity going on in the country and at the same time there is population explosion both of which require large quantities of pure drinkable water. Owing to geographical change, which is inherent in the system, we are losing water resources gradually. Glaciers that have been the perennial source of water for the rivers are melting down and this source is depleting. Adequate measures of conserving water resources are not anywhere in sight. Additionally, underground water resources, according to geologists, are drying up and the level of underground water is falling fast. Any tube well which could reach water at a depth of 15 to 20 feet must go down to anything between 30 to 60 feet to reach the underground level of water.
The condition of our big rivers like Ganga, Jamuna, Brahmaputra and some more in the South of the country is well known. Firstly, their course has changed owing to physical phenomenon. Secondly, the waters are polluted beyond our imagination. Huge habitats and structures have come up close to the banks of rivers and streams and all the garbage and litter is thrown into the river. Pollution control mechanism is almost non-functional. Most of the people who live close to the banks of these water bodies throw litter and refuse into the water of these rivers and streams and thus it is polluted and unfit for drinking. However, most of the people depend on the water of these rivers and in doing so they invite serious threat to their health.
This serious and disastrous condition has been stated by no less a person than the Minister of State for Drinking Water and Sanitation Ramesh Chandappa Jigajinagi in a written statement in the Parliament. He said that more than 70,000 habitations in the country do not have safe drinking water as it is contaminated with fluoride, arsenic and heavy metals among others. These pollutants are injurious not only to the human health but also to the health of animal and plant life. He added that water at more than 36,500 habitations is contaminated with iron. At almost 14,000 habitations, fluoride is present in water. However, he told the house that all States were asked to take necessary steps to provide clean drinking water to the people and the Central Government had a definite plan in this context. The Minister said that hopefully by 2022 at least 90 per cent of these habitations will have clean drinking water for the people if the scheme works according to the plan.
The problem of people in many parts of the State forced to take impure water is very much there. We do not have the statistics of how any habitations are forced to take contaminated water. Nevertheless, we are aware that our water bodies are not safe from pollution. People, especially in rural areas are not sufficiently aware of the dangers of polluting water bodies and the diseases that can afflict people who drink the contaminated water. We would suggest that our State also becomes part of the scheme floated by the Centre to provided clean and drinkable water to the people by 2022. The concerned authorities in the State ought to launch a campaign of keeping all water bodies clean. Cleaning campaign should not remain restricted to the cities and towns only but should extend to rural areas of the State where out of ignorance, people catch many water-borne diseases some of them fatal.
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