508 water sources found having fluoride: Kavita Jain

Tribune News Service

Advertisement

Chandigarh, March 15

Haryana Urban Local Bodies Minister Kavita Jain said in the Assembly today that Panchkula deserved to get the status of a smart city and hoped that it would be included in the list of Centre’s smart cities project in the second phase.

She said that the city was a contender for the status in the first phase. The matter regarding delay caused in sending its nomination to the Central Government would be examined and action taken against the officials responsible for the delay.

Jain was replying to a supplementary question asked by MLA Gian Chand Gupta during the Budget session.

Revenue Minister Abhimanyu said a three-member subcommittee headed by Agriculture Minister Om Praskash Dhankar had been constituted to update the status as per demand of all four divisions, 21 districts, 62 subdivisions, 83 tehsils and 48 sub-tehsils to ensure uniform development of the state.

The minister was replying to a question about upgrading Rania tehsil as a subdivision in the Rania Assembly constituency. He said that the building in Rania tehsil would soon be constructed and the delay in this regard would be investigated.

Public Health Engineering Minister Ghanshyam Saraf said the government was committed to supplying clean drinking water to people.

During the tests conducted by the Department to assess the fluoride and arsenic levels in water at its sources, 508 water sources had been found containing fluoride. Alternative safe water sources had been identified in a majority of the affected villages, he added.

Saraf was replying to a question regarding the canal-based potable water supply network in the Julana Assembly constituency. He assured INLD MLA Parminder Dhull of sending a team to test water samples after the legislator rued non-availability of clean drinking water and even produced a sample he wanted tested.