Despite efforts and “huge investments”, pollution level in Ganga and Yamuna continues to increase unabated, a Parliamentary panel on Friday said and slammed the environment ministry for only adopting an “engineering centric” approach to deal with the situation.

The standing committee on environment and forest in its latest report on demands for grants (2012-13) of the environment ministry said, “The quality of Ganga water is going down day by day.”

Environmental activists Monday threatened to take to the streets if the government did not come out with “concrete measures” to save the “dying” Ganga by May 20. “So many protests have taken place over the issue before but little has come of it... we have decided to launch a mass campaign from Varanasi from May 21 if the government does not come up with a concrete programme by May 20,” said Magsaysay winner “Waterman” Rajendra Singh.

Announcing the “Ganga Ganga Mukti Sangram”, Singh accused the Centre of ignoring the plight of the river.

NEW DELHI: In damage control mode, the prime minister on Tuesday sent Union coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal to placate the fasting G D Agrawal, a retired professor of IIT Kanpur who recently 'embraced sanyas' and took the name 'Swami Gyan Swarup Sanand'. Agrawal has been on fast since January 14 at Varanasi protesting against the continued pollution of Ganga.

The CBI on Thursday registered three cases relating to alleged irregularities in the NRHM funds in Uttar Pradesh to the tune of Rs 250 crore. It booked IAS officer and the then Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department of the State Pradeep Shukla and others and conducted searches at 44 locations in six cities of the State besides Delhi. Shukla is presently member of the revenue board and has been named in all the three cases.

On BSP founder Kanshiram’s fifth death anniversary, Chief Minister Mayawati unveiled 484 development projects worth Rs 6,035 crore at a programme organised at Kanshiram Smarak Sthal on VIP road today.

Mayawati reached Kanshiram memorial around 10.30 am. She lit candles near the bronze statue of Kanshiram, erected along with her own statue, inside the building and then offered a floral tribute. She also offered gifts to Buddhist monks who performed the rituals for Kanshiram’s death anniversary.

Heavy rains have wreaked havoc in eastern Uttar Pradesh leaving 28 people dead, while the water level in major rivers is rising.

While 18 people were killed in incidents of wall and house collapse in Jaupur district, 10 deaths were reported from Mirzapur district which received 120 mm and 150 mm respectively since Saturday, officials said on Sunday.

LUCKNOW: With an aim to bringing the focus on rivers and those who live on their banks, a group of six men and women from different countries is on an expedition across the Gomti.

OUR BUREAU New Delhi A test conducted on samples of water of the Ganges, lifted at nine sites, has revealed that it is not fit for use even in farming, let alone for human use.

The Delhi- based Shriram Institute for Industrial Research and STAR News carried out the research by lifting samples from sites as diverse as Gangotri in Uttarakhand and Malda in West Bengal and compared them with sample

The quality of river water is an area of concern in Uttar Pradesh, if the State of Environment report, 2010 is to be believed. The report, released on Sunday by directorate of environment, UP, reveals that between 2004 and 2008, water quality indicators in many cases are negative.