ENCROACHMENT ON POND LANDS MUST GO, SAYS BAJWA
Monday, 03/07/2017
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CHANDIGARH: Punjab rural development and panchayat minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa has asked the department officials to get the village pond lands, that have been illegally occupied by some people, vacated.
The minister, who also asked them to ensure their proper maintenance, ordered officials to restore status quo ante after getting the record from the revenue department. The pond lands should be marked on the basis of the record and encroachments removed, he said in an official statement.
Bajwa said it was because of these encroachments that there were no outlets for drains in the villages resulting in disputes among the people over stagnant dirty water.
The minister called upon the officials of the department to explore the possibilities of treating sewage water for irrigation purposes.
He said treated water could be supplied to the fields by installing solar-powered pumps on these ponds for which the government was providing 80% subsidy.
“These ponds can also be used for harvesting rainwater. Presently, the only outlets for this water are drains that result in its wastage. Rainwater harvesting can also help in raising the subsoil water level,” he added.
