Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Haryana Chief Minister Mr Manohar Lal today said that the State has a plan to bring down the Bio Chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) parameter on all points of River Ghaggar to 10 MLD in a phased manner so as to improve the quality of water. Out of 20 towns located along the river Ghaggar in Haryana, Sewerage Treatment Plants (STPs) have been made functional in 12 Towns whereas work on eight STPs has been initiated and would start functioning soon. He added that Haryana will continue to follow the SPR technology in new STPs for big towns which automatically brings down the BOD level to 10 MLD in the long run.
Mr Manohar Lal said this in a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal to discuss the issue of pollution in River Ghaggar here today. The meeting was convened for suggesting ways to purify the river Ghaggar which is being polluted due to discharge of untreated or partially treated industrial and domestic effluent from Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.
While expressing concern over the issue of pollution in river Ghaggar, Mr Manohar Lal said that the issue assumes significance for both States as according to historians in the ancient times Ghaggar River was a part of mythical river Saraswati. He suggested that both States should jointly work for the purification of the river so as to further improve the quality of water and also to make it usable for irrigation. He also suggested that a meeting with Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and officers of Union Territory, Chandigarh should also be convened to check chemical affluent flown in the river from their side.
In the meeting, Mr Manohar Lal also urged the Punjab Chief Minister Mr Parkash Singh Badal to join his endeavour to take up all other issues pertaining to both States on priority basis.
Responding to the Chief Minister, Mr Badal said that both Punjab and Haryana are like brothers and assured Mr Manohar Lal that he was ready to discuss the issues of both States.
Mr Badal said that Punjab would work hand in hand with Haryana for the purification of river Ghaggar. He assured the Chief Minister that efforts would be made to bring down the BOD parameter to 10 MLD on all points of River Ghaggar in Punjab.
Haryana Finance Minister Capt. Abhimanyu, Haryana Chief Secretary Mr P.K Gupta, Punjab Chief Secretary Mr Sarvesh Kaushal, and senior officers of Haryana and Punjab were also present in the meeting.
