Govt sanctions cleaning of 41 village ponds

Former Punjab minister and DCC chief Joginder Singh Mann and industrial tycoon KK Sardana launching cleansing project of village ponds at Kirpalpur colony
Photo 17 Nov JSM
Former Punjab minister and DCC chief Joginder Singh Mann and industrial tycoon KK Sardana launching cleansing project of village ponds at Kirpalpur colony

Jaswant Singh Gandam & Raman Nehra
India Post News Service

PHAGWARA, Punjab: The Punjab government has sanctioned an ambitious project of three-phase cleansing of 41 village ponds (‘chhapar’) of Phagwara sub-division with a view to recycling water for purposes of agricultural use, providing employment through fish-farming and conserving water by arresting the alarming trend of depleting underground water table.

Former Punjab minister and Kapurthala District Congress Committee President Joginder Singh Mann and industrial tycoon KK Sardana, Joint MD, Sukhjit Starch and Chemicals Limited, inaugurated the project by launching cleansing of village Kirpalpur colony pond.

Addressing a gathering on this occasion, Mann disclosed that the ponds will be cleaned in three phases. He appreciated captain of industry KK Sardana for extending cooperation in the project through corporate social responsibility consideration.

Daljit Raju Darveshpind, President Block Congress (Rural) President, while addressing the inaugural function, said that due to prolonged non-cleansing in the past, these ponds had become breeding grounds for mosquitoes, flies and even snakes, thereby posing threats to life, becoming source of epidemics and blocking rural sewerage systems.

“Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh has done a yeoman’s service to rural areas by sanctioning the cleansing projects,” said both Mann and Raju. They declared that sanction for cleansing ponds of remaining villages of Phagwara Block would be secured soon.

Phagwara Block Development and Panchayat Officer Harbilas Bagla and village Sarpanch Reshma Rani were also present, among others.