Upgrade STPs to prevent polluted water from entering lakes in Kolar, Chikkaballapur: C N Manjunath

New Delhi: Bengaluru Rural BJP Lok Sabha member C N Manjunath has urged the Centre upgrade all secondary STPs to tertiary-level treatment to prevent polluted water entering into lakes in Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts.

"The Government of Karnataka has allowed untreated sewage water to be released into the lakes and tanks. This is unfortunate, as guidelines stipulate that tertiary treatment must be administered to sewage water before it is discharged into water bodies, yet only inadequate secondary treatment has been provided," he said participating in the debate in Lok Sabha.

"The borewell water of these areas is heavily contaminated with heavy metals, uranium, arsenic, fluoride, and phosphorus, resulting in adverse effects on the health of the population, livestock, and crops. Certainly, we are consuming micro-quantities of poison from the vegetables and fruits grown in these areas," he said.

The groundwater, particularly in metro cities, as well as in the neighbouring districts of Bangalore, is becoming increasingly polluted. The Indian Institute of Science and the Environment Management Policy Research Institute have studied and demonstrated the presence of toxic metals and substances in the vegetables and fruits grown in these regions. The time has come to accord the same importance to sewage effluent treatment as we do to hospitals and healthcare, he said.

Manjunath also urged the Union Road Transport and Highways Ministry to set up on Bengaluru–Mysuru Expressway. The district administration of Ramanagara has already identified 8.5 acres of land for this purpose. Along with the rest area, they can also develop a silk museum and a toy park, as Ramanagara is known as the “City of Toys” and also considered as a major silk centre, he said.

The BJP leader said that India has made considerable progress in its immunisation programme of Mission Indradhanush, with the World Health Organisation appreciating India's efforts for reaching an immunisation coverage of almost 97 per cent for children. Now, the time has come for adult immunisation, as nearly four million to five million Indians are suffering from pneumonia and related complications, with death rate ranging from 17 to 40 per cent.

He said at present 1,300 procedures are included under Ayushman Bharat, but another 600 procedures have been omitted. He appealed to include these additional 600 procedures under Ayushman Bharat, transforming it into a truly universal health care programme.