Monsoon is still over a month away, and the State has been facing a tough time with water levels in all the drinking water sources steadily moving downwards.
With weather experts hinting at the possibility of the State moving towards a drought-like situation, environmentalists seek the immediate intervention of the government in enforcing some sort of a prioritisation in the usage of water.
An emergency working committee meeting of the Paristhithi Samrakshana Samithi, an active environmental organisation here, passed a memorandum recently seeking the intervention of the authorities in putting in place some sort of a control in using water for purposes other than drinking at a time of severe water shortage. “Looting water from the rivers for constructions work at a time of acute drinking water shortage is not development, its sheer cruelty,” the memorandum has stated in strong words.
It has also asked the authorities to declare something like a moratorium on all major commercial constructions in different parts of the State. Reminding that this was the time when people should have a clear sense of priority in the usage of water, the activists stated that what awaits the State would be a major disaster if the authorities were not able to restrict those who exploit the precious natural resource.
Samithi office-bearers said thousands of tanker lorries transporting water from different rivers and ponds to numerous construction sites had come to their notice. “Which government can afford to turn a blind eye towards it when the construction lobby continues overeating the already scant power and valuable water when the entire State is heading to a crisis,” the greens ask.
The State government should initiate immediate measures to strictly protect the remaining water sources in different parts of the State, the memorandum pointed out.
