Dehradun: The Government of India has penned a letter to the Government of Uttarakhand to improve the condition of ponds in the state. The letter sought the state government to get rid of the encroachments on the ponds. Reacting to this, the state government has intensified the exercise. There were once 3000 ponds in the state but more than 500 ponds are reported to have disappeared. Consequently, the state government will run bulldozers on the encroachments, at the location where ponds were once located.
Earlier, the districts of Udham Nagar and Haridwar had the maximum number of ponds in the state. According to the government data, there used to be around 3000 ponds in these two districts. However, residential areas were constructed around the ponds, and post settlements, the ponds disappeared. The district magistrates of both the districts have been asked to prepare a report mentioning the old condition of the ponds and encroachments.
According to Satpal Maharaj, the Irrigation Minister, "the state government will complete the work assigned by the Central government expeditiously." Satpal Maharaj said that there is no doubt that if the quantity of water beneath the land remains bountiful, then both the farmers and the public will benefit from it. If there has been encroachment on the ponds, then immediately the ponds should be revived by removing the encroachments."
He told that the work of removing silt from the ponds will be done at a faster pace. Satpal Maharaj said that in many places the land mafia has settled or captured the settlements on the ponds and actions will be taken there too.
