Reduced water level in Yamuna govt's main concern: Uma

Terming the reduced water level in Yamuna as the "main" concern, Union Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti today said the government wants to develop it in a way that farmers get adequate water for irrigation while continuous flow in the river is maintained.
The percentage of water share should not get affected in Haryana and Delhi, she said.
Bharti was speaking at Hathnikund Barrage in Yamunanagar district, a Haryana government release said.
She said development is possible without damaging rivers while purification of all drains flowing into Yamuna would be done to make it clean.
"Either close all the drains completely or put the water in the river only after purifying it," she said and asked officers to start a special campaign to save the river from pollution.

She said work is underway on seven schemes to connect rivers including Dabang Ganga, Pinjal, Pratapi, Narmada, Ken- Betwa, Pancheshwar Parvati, Kali Singh, among others.

Of these, the Ken-Betwa project has already been passed by the Union Cabinet.
Bharti said that the government has for the first time constituted a River Development Board for conservation of rivers and a plan has been formulated for purification of Yamuna along with the Ganga.
She said that we would have to combine all schemes keeping in view the interests of all sections of the society.
This includes three schemes of farmers, drinking water and continuous flow of water in the rivers.