Every effort being made to stop chemical wastewater from Sutlej: Rajasthan minister

Jaipur, Sep 3 Public Health Engineering Minister Kanhaiyalal Choudhary told the Assembly on Wednesday that the state government is making continuous efforts to check the inflow of chemical wastewater from Punjab into Rajasthan's rivers and canals.

He said that wastewater is being prevented through 57 sewerage treatment plants (STPs) operating in the Sutlej catchment area, while 10 new STPs are also under construction.

Responding to supplementary questions raised by MLA Dungar Ram Gedar on behalf of the Water Resources Minister during Question Hour, Choudhary said that the quality of water entering Rajasthan through the Indira Gandhi Feeder and Bikaner Canal is monitored in real time.

Reports are displayed every hour at the Hanumangarh office of the Rajasthan Pollution Control Board and the Water Resources Department.

According to the latest reports, the drinking water supplied is within prescribed standards.

In his written reply, the Minister noted that chemical waste from factories in Jalandhar enters the Sutlej River and reaches Rajasthan through the Harike Barrage and canals.

The Rajasthan government has repeatedly urged Punjab to release wastewater into canals only after proper treatment.

The Central Pollution Control Board has also directed the Punjab Pollution Control Board to prevent pollution at its source. The Minister further stated that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) had directed the formation of a monitoring committee to oversee the issue.

Based on the committee’s findings, the NGT instructed Punjab to establish and operate adequate ETPs, CETPs and STPs, and prepare a detailed action plan.

The Tribunal also mandated that the Chief Secretary of Punjab personally review the implementation of these measures every month.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma reiterated the state government's commitment to making farmers economically strong. He said that the government schemes and policies are ensuring the all-round development of farmers along with their participation in the journey of Viksit Rajasthan-2047.

The Chief Minister directed officials to ensure timely implementation of Budget announcements so that farmers and cattle-rearers can benefit directly on the ground.

CM Sharma said this while reviewing the progress of Budget announcements related to Agriculture, Agricultural Marketing, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Dairy and Cow Husbandry Departments at the Chief Minister’s Office on Wednesday.

He said that agriculture must be promoted as an employment-oriented sector through the adoption of advanced technologies and rapid expansion of services for farmers.

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