Chandigarh Tribune: Amritsar: Sunday,
May 15, 2016.
Even as the
government has initiated several steps to prevent the wastage of water and even
started challaning those who are indulging in such a practice, a large number
of village ponds are being encroached upon by the people.
These ponds
act as a major source of recharging of underground water. However, a majority
of ponds were either encroached or being used for disposing sewerage waste.
Environmentalists
had appreciated the steps taken by the government to save the wastage of water
and taking punitive action against those who indulged in such a practice by
cleaning streets and washing cars with the supplied water. The government had
also stressed on the construction of rainwater-harvesting system in government
and residential buildings as well as huge buildings like shopping malls, etc.
All these initiatives were an effort towards controlling the depleting
groundwater table of Punjab with each passing day.
The
environmentalists said they also stressed on the revival of pond system in the
rural belts. “In the past, there used to be at least two to three chhappars or
ponds in each village. But now a days, only one pond is found while remaining
ponds were silted and encroached upon by villagers with political backings,”
said Jagmohan Singh, an environmentalist.
In 2011, he
had procured information through RTI about the encroachment of ponds in
villages in various blocks. According to the information, around 219 acres of
village ponds were encroached upon by villagers enjoying political patronage.
Jagmohan Singh claimed that the number of encroachments on ponds had only
increased after that.
He said out
of 140 blocks in Punjab, 108 blocks came under the dark zone where the
underground water level had declined to alarming levels. In Amritsar and Tarn
Taran, out of 17 blocks, 14 fall under the dark zone.
Last year,
the Punjab government had initiated a project of revival of village ponds in
all three regions - Malwa, Majha and Doaba- of the state. The Punjab Rural
Development and the Panchayat Department was entrusted with the job. However,
the project was later scrapped.
“Practically,
we don’t see anything happening for the revival of village ponds. Whatever ponds
are there in Majha and Doaba region, they are all being encroached while the
panchayats have turned a blind eye towards it due to their political
interests,” said another environmentalist, PS Bhatty.
Harjinder
Singh, BDPO, said the department was very strict over the issue and whenever
they received a complaint, prompt action was taken against offenders. He said
the department had the list of the ponds in every village. Though he admitted
that the number of ponds had drastically came down as compared to the past.
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