Chandigarh, April 20:
Rural Development and Panchayats Minister, Tarunpreet Singh Sond, stated that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the guidance of Arvind Kejriwal, the Punjab government has embarked on a historic mission to clean village ponds at an unprecedented scale since independence.
Addressing a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Sond highlighted that past governments failed to address the needs of rural Punjab, with many ponds left unattended for 15 to 25 years. As a result, these ponds stink, and have become breeding ground for mosquitoes making it impossible for people around to live.
For the first time in history of Punjab, the Mann-led government has launched mass scale ponds rejuvenation exercise. Nearly 15000 ponds set to be cleaned within this year.
He further shared that around 1,100 ponds has already dewatered and nearly 400 ponds already desilted. Depending on the requirement, both desilting and re-silting operations are being carried out. The Minister recently conducted on-ground inspections in several villages of Fatehgarh Sahib district to personally oversee the progress. He will be visiting other districts to personally review all progress.
Many of these ponds, he said, had not been cleaned for decades, leading to overflow, foul odors, and mosquito breeding in the villages. Now, with this initiative, the Punjab government is actively working to reverse these conditions and create a cleaner, healthier environment, a concrete step toward realizing the vision of a “Rangla Punjab.” Sond revealed that the Punjab government has approved a budget of Rs. 4,573 crore for the holistic development of villages.
He further said that the government is focusing on upgrading rural infrastructure, including the maintenance and upkeep of village ponds and the development of playgrounds. Sewage treatment facilities are being ensured in villages to ensure sustainable wastewater management.
The proper care and rejuvenation of the pond are important for villages’ economy and livelihoods.
The minister said that ahead of the monsoon season, the Punjab government will ensure desilting and re-silting from ponds wherever needed. This effort will also help recharge groundwater levels and contribute to addressing the issue of depleting underground water in the state.
