Varanasi activists seek inclusion of water security in poll agenda of parties

Binay Singh, TNN | Mar 31, 2014, 11.46AM IST

VARANASI: As all the political outfits are trying their best to garner public support for 2014 general elections, the water activists are also gearing up to push their demand of 'right to water security' for inclusion in their election manifesto. The Congress has released its election manifesto while other parties are yet to come up with their poll agenda.

"Though the Congress has beautifully drafted its environment related poll agenda in the manifesto, we have doubts over its sincerity as the Congress led UPA-II did nothing appreciable for Ganga," Magsaysay awardee Rajendra Singh, popularly known as Waterman of India, told TOI. Singh was here to attend a meeting of human rights and water activists organised by Jal-Jan Jodo Abhiyan and People's Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) on Friday evening.

"The Ganga found prominence during UPA-I regime only while the holy river remained neglected in UPA-II regime," said Singh further adding that the UPA should have brought Right to Water Security Act before the Food security Act.

In its recently released manifesto Congress has tried to highlight its achievements and plans on environmental front. Regarding the works done in last five years, Congress manifesto says, "Environment and natural resources are a national treasure that we need to pass onto our future generations. So we worked to increase water security, cleaned our rivers and protected existing forest cover. We established the Ganga River Basin Authority and passed the National Green Tribunal Act, marking a paradigm shift in conservation efforts". Regarding its plan the manifesto says, "Environmental accountability is essential. Through 'Green National Accounts' we will ensure that cost of environmental degradation are clearly reflected in national accounts. A 'National Environmental Appraisal and Monitoring Authority' will also be set up. Cleaning of rivers will be done on a large scale and a 'National Mission on Wind Energy' will streamline efforts to harness wind energy."

"We want a promise from all political parties for water security as it is more important than the food," he said, who is coordinating with activists across the country to push a water security bill. "In view of increasing water crisis it is need of the hour to rope in people for the conservation of water bodies," said Sanjay Singh, the convener of Jal-Jan Jodo campaign. Lenin Raghuvanshi of PVCHR said, "The issue of water security should be one of the important poll planks for all political parties."

The water activists have also drafter a water security bill, which seeks control of village panchayats and local bodies over water bodies. According to the draft, every local authority will maintain records of water bodies and will prohibit the encroachments on water bodies. The panchayat may have all such powers to ensure the biological, ecological and hydrological integrity of the water body.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/lok-sabha-elections-2014/news/Varanasi-activists-seek-inclusion-of-water-security-in-poll-agenda-of-parties/articleshow/33008944.cms

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