Chandigarh, August 25:- Haryana Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini directed that along with keeping ponds in rural areas of the state clean and beautiful, special attention should also be paid to their maintenance. To ensure that dirty water does not directly enter any pond, arrangements should be made to ensure that water reaches the pond only after scientific treatment. The Chief Minister was chairing a meeting of the Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority at the Haryana Civil Secretariat on Tuesday.
Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini said that along with beautification of ponds, better facilities should also be developed around them for rural residents. He directed that in villages where new Yogshalas are proposed to be constructed, Yogshalas should be developed around ponds by installing sheds etc. and arrangements should be made for open gyms. This would encourage villagers to visit these places regularly and also take an interest in the maintenance of ponds.
In the meeting, officials informed that there are a total of 20,100 ponds in the state, of which 19,219 are in rural areas and 881 are in urban areas. Special focus is being given to ponds that are polluted and overflowing. A strategy is also being prepared for treating grey and black water in villages. For this, waste water management or STP facilities can be developed outside the pond. Village or Panchayat land can be used for this purpose. The Chief Minister directed that work should also be undertaken for providing micro-STPs in rural areas and necessary pre-treatment should be ensured before water reaches the pond.
The meeting also discussed technologies such as mechanical aeration and nanobubble technology. The Chief Minister directed that these technologies should be used as pilot projects and, if the results are found effective, they should also be implemented in other ponds.
Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini directed that the ongoing work for renovation and beautification of 320 ponds should be completed at a fast pace. At the same time, 467 new ponds should be identified and work should be started there as well. He also directed that a special campaign be launched for the maintenance of completed ponds. The Chief Minister directed that high-level water filtration arrangements should be made around solar pumps installed at ponds and special attention should be paid to the maintenance of solar pumps.
During the meeting, officials also apprised the Chief Minister of the status of 350 Amrit Sarovars. The Chief Minister directed that priority be given to the better utilization and maintenance of completed ponds. He also directed that future allotments/auctions for fish farming in village ponds should be carried out as per the prescribed procedure and focus should be placed on better utilization of ponds in the public interest.
A special mechanism will be developed
During the meeting, officials informed that a special mechanism for ponds would also be developed on the lines of the ‘Mh??? Sadak’ app. Through this mechanism, the general public would be able to register complaints regarding the poor condition or improvement of a pond along with location tagging. The complaint would be forwarded to the concerned Sarpanch and officials so that necessary action could be taken promptly.
ADCs will conduct reviews; maintenance report to be prepared
An arrangement has been made to make 5 percent of the budget of the Development and Panchayats Department available for the maintenance of ponds. Special directions were also given to involve VBG Ramji in this work. Officials of the Development and Panchayats Department informed the Chief Minister that a committee has been constituted in every village for the maintenance of ponds, with the Sarpanch as its chairman and the village secretary and concerned representatives as members.
The Chief Minister directed that the functioning of these committees should be reviewed regularly. Review meetings should be held at the ADC level in every district and reports should be obtained regarding the work carried out by the concerned committees so far for the maintenance of ponds. The concerned committees should also ensure the maintenance of solar pumps installed at the ponds.
Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority to monitor every aspect
The Chief Minister also emphasized the review and standardization of the design and drawings of ponds so that uniformity and quality could be ensured in the works carried out at different locations. The Chief Minister said that the responsibility of the officer concerned with the renovation, beautification and maintenance of ponds would also be fixed. Action would be taken if any negligence was found. He also directed the Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority to conduct inspections from time to time and recommend action in case any compromise with quality was found. During the meeting, necessary directions were also given regarding developing ponds located within village habitation areas outside the residential areas from the perspective of public use.
Work towards linking ponds with the beauty of villages
Executive Vice Chairman of the Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority, Shri Vimal Goswami, said that the government’s objective is to make ponds clean and beautiful and integrate them with the beauty of villages. In this direction, work is being undertaken on cleaning ponds, improving water quality and ensuring better maintenance. He said that as per the directions given by Chief Minister Shri Nayab Singh Saini, new technologies would first be used as pilot projects and, if positive results are achieved, these would also be adopted in other ponds. Village committees are also being involved in the maintenance of ponds. The aim is to make ponds with clean water and beautiful surroundings an attraction for people in villages.
During the meeting, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Shri Arun Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary of the Development and Panchayats Department Shri Vijendra Kumar, Deputy Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Dr. Yashpal Singh and Director of the Development and Panchayats Department Shri Aneesh Yadav were also present.