Monday, 27 MAY 2024 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Uttarakhand Congress has threatened to launch an agitation if the State government fails to solve the drinking water crisis soon. The vice president of the State Congress Suryakant Dhasmana told mediapersons at Rajiv Bhawan here on Sunday that all the districts of the State are suffering from a severe drinking water crisis. The general public and the tourists coming from other States are suffering due to this crisis and the State government does not have any plan to tackle it.
He said that this time the meteorological department had given a forecast of a severe summer and the incidents of forest fire started occurring in the month of March. The forest fires became intense in May and so far 2,000 hectares of forest land has been damaged by fires due to which many natural sources of water have dried up, he said.
Dhasmana said that the State government is doing nothing for recharge of ground water due to which most of the natural water sources and streams are drying up.
Unplanned constructions in the plain areas of the State and rampant illegal mining in the rivers and rivulets are also contributing to the problem of water crisis but the State government is paying no attention. Dhasmana said that a record number of pilgrims are coming to the State in the ongoing Char Dham Yatra. They are suffering in the absence of proper arrangements for drinking water. The Congress leader claimed that a severe drinking water crisis is there on the Yamunotri, Gangotri, Badrinath and Kedarnath routes. The government should have made drinking water arrangements for pilgrims but in its absence they have to purchase bottled water.
He said that the Congress workers had held a protest and informed the chief general manager of Jal Sansthan Neelima Garg about the crisis in Dehradun city. Dhasmana said that things have now become worse and immediate measures are needed to be taken to solve the crisis. He warned that the Congress workers would be forced to start an agitation if the government fails to address the problem.
