India’s minister fails to prove its river pollution is not cancerous

India’s federal minister for health and family welfare denied any link of water pollution with rising number of cancer cases that are being reported in India. Speaking at a legislative assembly Ghulam Nabi Azad said that no proof found so far that could have confirmed that water pollution is the main cause of widely spreading cancer disease in India. According to earlier reports, nearly 1.1 million cases of cancer are reported in India every year.

Smart Indian government

However a denial was made by the Indian government that actually is responsible for the provision of pollution-free water to its citizens and to take urgent steps to stem the alarmingly rising number of cases of cancer. However, instead of taking practical measures on these two fronts it

unequivocally denied any link between water pollution and cancer in India. In a lighter tone it is called hitting two birds with one stone. It saved its skin from the blame of taking no action to control water pollution and also pacified the public concerns about spread of cancer disease in India.

What is the basis of denial?

The main point in recent denial of Indian government about water pollution’s linkage with the rising number of cancer cases is the credibility of the source that released the report. If it is done by Indian health and environment ministry then its partiality must be questioned because the way it revealed its findings essentially exonerated Indian government from any type of blame and even lessen its burden to control water pollution on urgent basis. Now the sole job of health ministry is to take measures to bridle the spread of cancer by providing satisfactory treatment facilities.

Silence of legislatures

In an average person’s opinion the India health and family welfare ministry should have presented the basis of the denial report before the august house. Or at least any member from the legislative assembly should have questioned the authenticity of the report. However from both sides there was not any elaboration or questioning that showed how legislatures in backward countries smartly tackle the green issues to stem them come to the public. If Indian government is really serious in its claim it should have conducted this research through an independent body and if it has done so then learned minister should have referred that source before his colleagues in Rajya Sabah.

Earlier report

Earlier a study conducted by the National Cancer Registry Program of India had disclosed that the water of the river Ganges carries heavy metals and poisonous chemicals in abundance that is main cause of cancer if Ganges water is used to drink and cook food. Moreover, if such water is persistently used for bathing and washing then too it may cause cancer to its users.

Most of the cities and towns situated around the Ganges river mostly release their domestic sewerage andindustrial effluent without any treatment. This stuff has cancerous material that makes the water of holy river cancer-causing and those who use it to purify their souls actually fall prey to one of the most fatal diseases of the world.