Kerala water resources minister calls upon Mulayam

Lucknow, Oct 13 (UNI) Kerala Water Resources Minister N K Premchandran today called upon Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav at his official residence here.

Both the leaders discussed important programmes and projects like irrigation, drinking water supply, ground water conservation and pollution.

Mr Yadav said apart from providing water for irrigation in UP, water was also being supplied to other cities including Delhi.

Of the 70,000-km long canals, 72 per cent of the cultivable land was irrigated. 'Kiswan Jal Upyog Samitis' were being set up all over the state to ensure proper utilization of water.

The CM said Rs 800 crore had been demanded from the Centre under the 11th Five Year Plan to meet the challenges of irrigation and other water related problems.

Expressing concern over receding ground water level, the CM said the State Government was taking steps to effectively maintain ground water level.

''Rainwater harvesting is being emphasised. People are being introduced to the benefits of rainwater harvesting and the maps of new houses will be passed only after they have provision of rainwater harvesting,'' Mr Yadav maintained and added the entire country was facing water problem.

Regarding the Ganga Action Plan, the CM said the centre should prepare a water policy immediately to deal with the problem of water scarcity. He said the issue had been raised in Parliament also.

The CM asserted that Dr Ram Monohar Lohia had raised the slogan of 'Sabse Pehle Pani Ka Intzam Karo' in 1951, but the then Government did not pay any heed. ''If this problem had been dealt with at that time, it would not have become so serious today.'' Mr Premchandran said the water of 44 rivers in Kerala could not match Ganga and only 22 per cent land was irrigated.

He welcomed Mr Yadav's proposal of preparing a national level water policy and said the Kerala Government would support the same.

UNI VS KN DKA BST1913