River pollution would remain a burden for the rural people of India for quite sometime, as the pollution is manmade, said Chief of Water and Environmental Sanitation of UNICEF, Lizette Burgers, here on Monday.

Speaking during a workshop on adaptive strategies for Water Conservation and Water Quality challenges as part of the celebrations to mark the World Water Day, Burgers said: "It will continue to be a burden to the rural people for quite sometime to come. Sources; previously considered to be not contaminated are being identified as contaminated by the time and new contaminants are also coming to light like heavy metals and radioactive elements. Many of these, if not ....most are most likely to be a result of manmade pollution."

Ms. Burgers also said that India has a lot to be proud of as it has achieved a lot in the last couple of years. There have been positive developments in the area of water supply. India has already achieved its MDG target of 86% of access to improved sources of drinking water. However, there are many challenges in front of us. "We see that out of 150 million, 134 million living in rural India have no access to water. It is also critical to look at safety of water as it is directly linked to health and social stability." (ANI)