Appeal to make environment chief election issue during the coming Lok Sabha elections

5 Dariya News

Jalandhar 08-Mar-2014

The unplanned development in India has led to the unhampered but illegal inflow of dirty domestic sewages of villages and cities and toxic wastes of factories into rivers and streams, which has utterly contaminated our natural water resources killing humans as well as rare species of water creatures. Due to fatal effects of contamination, people in the surrounding areas are falling prey to deadly diseases such as Cancer, Hepatitis, paralysis, gastroenteritis, respiratory and other kinds of diseases and dying painful deaths in hospitals.  The giant of pollution is threatening to destroy humanity and masses in India now are dying of thirst for pure water.Human beings and other creature are being deprived of their basic right to live.Ruefully, all the most venerable rivers such as the Ganga, Yamuna, Satluj, Kavery, Narmada, Godavari, Damodar, etc., have become the most polluted rivers of India. No more remaining life-givers, they have turned harbingers of Death. It is a matter of great shame that these dirty and toxic waters have to used in preparation of Prasad, langars and for taking holy baths in the holy places situated on the banks of these rivers. Deeply does this hurt the religious feelings of the worshippers. Moreover, the toxic and contaminated water of these rivers is seeping under earth and polluting the precious treasures of subsoil water, thus endangering not only our life, but also of the generations to come.

The pity of the matter is that this contamination of river water is an open and severe infringement of Constitution of India in word and spirit. It is violation of Water (Pollution & Prevention) Act, 1974, Section 21 of the Constitution, Section 48-A of the Constitution ( Part IV- Directive Principles), Section 5 of Canal & Drainage Act 1873 and other such laws.During the last Assembly/Parliament elections in Punjab, we appealed all the political parties to highlight environment as the chief election issue as a result of which a huge mass movement arose for stopping the pollution of river waters. The Central and State Governments declared projects of 2200 crores of rupees for purification of the Satluj, Beas and Ghaggar rivers.  We consider that other states of India are also suffering from river water pollution like Punjab. It requires the attention of all the political parties to redeem the situation. All the regional as well as the national political parties should come forward to play the important roles in the protection of people’s life and give priority to the issue of environmental protection in their respective manifestos. So, we appeal to you that only those candidates  be given chance to contest forthcoming Lok Sabha elections-2014, who have full understanding of the seriousness of  environmental problem and can put in their best towards its solution.