TEAM HERALD
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
PANJIM: The irrigation and agriculture departments have been directed to clean up the contaminated rivers and ponds, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar informed the State legislative assembly on Friday assuring to monitor the entire issue on priority.
Parrikar said that the ponds with a total area of below 600 sq mtrs would be cleaned and monitored by agriculture department while the irrigation department would take up ponds/rivers of above 800 sq mtrs. “Ponds and rivers all across the state have become contaminated as garbage has been dumped into them. Ponds near temples are also seen polluted,” Parrikar said adding the “panchayats are not in a position to handle the situation.”
The chief minister was replying to the private member resolution tabled by Congress MLAs Pratapsing Rane, Vishwajit Rane, Alexio Reginaldo Lourenco and Pandurang Madkaikar. The legislators demanded that all local bodies ~ panchayats and municipalities ~ be directed to keep the water resources such as rivers and ponds clean and prevent misuse of the precious resource.
Pratapsing Rane said that water being precious natural resources needs to be protected for future generation, considering the scarcity of water. Water has been contaminated by people by dumping garbage and waste in it, he said.
“Looking at the present water situation, it looks our future generation will have to fights for water,” he added.
