Una, February 27- In a unique initiative for the conservation and development of water structures in Una district, ponds will be counted and their digital record will be prepared. Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri has given instructions to the district administration regarding this. Under this initiative, a detailed calculation of all the ponds present in the district as well as new and old dams, wells, stepwells, reservoirs and lakes will be done and their digital record will be prepared. The nodal agency for this work will be the District Rural Development Authority.

The Deputy Chief Minister gave these instructions while taking a meeting of officials in the DRDA meeting room of Una on Thursday to review the efforts made for water conservation and construction of water structures in the district and to discuss the future strategy.

He said that the ponds will be classified on the basis of their size, water filling capacity and being natural or man-made. Their serial number will be fixed in each assembly constituency and the help of subject experts will be taken for determining the standards.

He said that this initiative will be important in ensuring water conservation for the coming generations and sustainable development of water resources in the district.

Expansion of water structures for wildlife and migratory birds
Shri Agnihotri asked the district administration to ensure that special attention is paid to the construction of water structures for wildlife and birds in the district. Apart from this, he asked to explore the possibilities of developing necessary facilities in water structures to stop and stay migratory birds in the district.

The form of ponds should not be tampered with
He directed the administration to ensure the protection of ponds which have historical, cultural or ecological importance and there should not be any kind of encroachment or tampering on them. Leveling of ponds should not be allowed under any circumstances.

Explore possibilities of developing beautiful ghats on the Swan river
Apart from this, the Deputy Chief Minister directed to explore the possibilities of developing beautiful ghats on the banks of Swan river. He said that Swan river is also famous by the name of Sombhadra, but till now no ghat has been developed on it. Efforts should be made to develop it as a tourist and religious center like other major rivers.

Develop 5 A-category ponds in every block
The Deputy Chief Minister gave the target of developing at least five A-category ponds in each block of the district. He directed the concerned BDO to develop these ponds in such a way that they can become tourist attractions. Beautification, lighting, fencing, walking tracks and other facilities should be developed in them. Apart from this, develop 10-10 B-category ponds in each block.

Emphasis on protection and documentation of water structures
Shri Agnihotri has asked the administration to make a documentary of water structures in the district by videography, so that planned efforts can be made towards their conservation. He also gave instructions to ensure cleanliness of ponds located on the roadside.

Build swimming pools in villages
The Deputy Chief Minister asked to work on the possibilities of building swimming pools in the villages of the district. He said that attention should also be paid to developing the swimming pool from the point of view of swimming sports so that rural youth can have facilities.

In the meeting, Deputy Commissioner Jatin Lal expressed his commitment to ensure full compliance of the guidelines of the Deputy Chief Minister. On this occasion, Additional Deputy Commissioner Mahendra Pal Gurjar, Superintendent Engineer of Water Power Department Naresh Dhiman, DFO Sushil Rana, Project Officer of DRDA KL Verma, Deputy Director of Fisheries Department Vivek Sharma along with all BDOs and officers of the concerned departments were present.