New Delhi, February 17
Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad today blamed the Punjab Government for reported drinking water crisis in the Malwa belt, especially in the Bathinda-Mansa belt where cases of cancer due to unsafe drinking water have come to light.
While responding to a question raised by Bathinda MP Paramjit in Lok Sabha today, the Minister said, “ There is no shortage of funds in the ministry, but the state government not submitted adequate project proposals to get Central funds.”
He admitted like some other parts of the country, it came to his notice that the Bathinda-Mansa belt was facing scarcity of safe drinking water. But it was up to the state government, he said, to submit projects for this purpose. “ The Centre will provide funds and technology to ensure safe drinking water in the village. The funds for this purpose has already been raised from Rs 2900 crore last year to Rs 4050 crore this year. The Finance Minister is likely to raise the Budget by at least one and half times for this purpose in the Budget,” he said in the presence of the Finance Minister.
Earlier Akali Dal MP from the region alleged that due to lack of proper cleaning of water tanks, people were forced to drink unsafe drinking water. Further, she said, “ Due to lack of adequate number of water tanks in villages, people are facing severe shortage of drinking water, and number of villages are dependent on the same water source.”
The Central Government was also launching a national-level water conservation project to prevent reduction in the level of groundwater resources, he said adding the Central project would include rainwater harvesting methods and watershed management.
