On Wednesday 6 September, Munira led a debate in Parliament on Thames Water’s controversial plans to pump millions of litres of treated sewage into the river at Teddington.
With the proposals currently awaiting the green light from the Government, the debate was a vital opportunity for Munira to relay residents’ concerns to the Minister for Environmental Quality and Resilience, Rebecca Pow, who had previously dodged repeated calls from Munira and Richmond Park MP Sarah Olney for a meeting.
In the debate, Munira highlighted the strength of local opposition to the plans, including from the thousands of river users who row, fish, swim and paddle in our part of the Thames.
Residents are extremely concerned about the potential impact on human health and the environment. Munira questioned the Minister on Thames Water’s claims about environmental assessments, and pointed out that the Environment Agency itself has said Thames Water has failed to show that the Teddington scheme is ‘feasible or environmentally acceptable’.
With trust in water companies at an all-time-low, Munira called on the Government to give the plans proper scrutiny and demanded to know why better, more viable alternatives to the scheme have been discarded.
With many crucial questions left unanswered, I – together with MPs Sarah Olney and Sir Ed Davey – have written to Minister Rebecca Pow AGAIN to demand answers.
