Haryana chief minister (CM) Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday directed that gram panchayats should be made responsible for regular maintenance of village ponds and said that steps must be taken to ensure contaminated water does not flow into the ponds.
While chairing a meeting of the Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority, Saini directed to give top priority to the upkeep of ponds across villages in the state and stressed on the beautification of ponds.
Haryana has a total 20,039 ponds, including 19,129 in rural areas and 910 in urban areas. So far, cleaning work of 6,777 ponds have been completed.
The CM directed officers to undertake regular cleaning of ponds developed under the Amrit Sarovar Yojana and stressed that all works should be carried out with complete transparency while maintaining high construction standards. He also directed that proper pathways for morning and evening walkers, seating benches and solar lighting facilities be ensured around ponds for public convenience.
Saini said untreated wastewater from villages should not be discharged directly into ponds.