RJD MLA censured for bringing Ganga water in House to raise pollution issue

Patna: Assembly Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav on Wednesday censured RJD MLA from Bajpatti, Mukesh Kumar Yadav, for bringing a bottle of Ganga water into the House and displaying it during the question hour, contending that the river all along its stretch in Bihar was highly polluted, as its total coliform (TC) bacterial content was extremely high.Earlier, newly inducted environment, forest and climate change minister Sunil Kumar, in reply to a short-notice question of Mukesh, said that sewerage treatment plants (STPs) were under construction in towns and cities located along the river, so that polluted water did not flow into the Ganga through drains."As many as 32 STPs have to be constructed. Of them, the construction of 13 STPs had been completed in the last five years. The construction of the remaining STPs is on," Kumar said.Earlier, the RJD MLA had mentioned in his question that the water of the river Ganga, which enters the state at Chausa in Buxar district, is polluted due to the extremely high presence of TC bacteria, which is beyond the permissible limits. "Sewage falls into the river Ganga at Buxar, Ara, Patna and also other towns and cities like Munger and Bhagalpur," he said.Citing the TC content in the Ganga water in Patna, Mukesh said that it was harmful even for bathing. While the presence of TC bacteria should not be more than 500 in 100ml of water, it was found to be 92,000 in 100ml of water at Gulbi Ghat of the river Ganga in Patna. It was at this point that Mukesh displayed the bottle having the Ganga water inviting immediate censure from the speaker, since it had been brought to the House without his permission. Mukesh demanded the constitution of a House committee to look into the matter, but the speaker rejected it.