VISAKHAPATNAM: Waterman of India Rajendra Singh on Thursday visited Sarada river in the district and expressed concern over pollution in the river and encroachment of areas abutting the river.
He urged the State government to demarcate the area comprising all water bodies like lakes, ponds and rivers including its catchment areas and declare the same as an eco-sensitive zone at the earliest to prevent further encroachments.
Passage of untreated molasses flowing into the river from sugar factories should be checked, Rajendra said and added that the government should allocate houses to the poor who have been living in temporary erections by encroaching the areas abutting water bodies.
There are more than 10 places where sewage is flowing into the river, which can be routed to Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), the processed water from which suits best for use in agricultural activities, the Waterman of India suggested and urged the government to set up Effluent Treatment Plants to treat sewage.
Further, Rajendra Singh urged the district administration to take up zonation of Sarada river with blue (river flowing), green (floodplain) and red (high flood level) zones as worked out by the Maharashtra government so that the river will remain unaffected.