The officer who is instrumental in making the Karnal district of Haryana free from illegal construction, with the help of technology, is back with another initiative. This time Mr. Nishant Yadav, Deputy Commissioner Karnal, has initiated a project of transforming four dirty ponds in the district, a breeding hub for flies, to model ponds.
At a cost of Rs 5 crore, the project will be a big relief for the residents of four villages in the district as the administration is not only reviving the ponds with clean water but is also undertaking a beautification drive to develop them into a tourist spot. The four affected villages are Kachwa, Sagga, Padha, and Gonder
THE ISSUE
Speaking with Indian Masterminds, Mr. Yadav said “These water bodies had dried up due to the unavailability of water from the nearby canals. Moreover, all the filthy water used to flow in from the drains of the village. The bad odour and the filthiness made people’s lives miserable.”
The initiative is being taken up in the four biggest villages in the district. Besides, the illegal encroachments in Kachwa and Gonder were also a big issue for the administration.
While conducting the inspection of these four villages, Mr. Yadav came across persistent demands by the local people to give a face-lift to the filthy water bodies. Hence, the project was rolled out in all four villages.
THE MODEL POND PROJECT
Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Yadav explained, “The project of constructing the model parks in these four villages started at the beginning of last year and is expected to complete till the month of March 2021. The ponds are being filled with clean water from the nearby canals, transforming it into a ‘Sarovar’ (lake). The Irrigation Department is laying pipelines for the constant flow of water.”
Apart from this, a beautification drive has also been conducted, in which splendid lights, walkway for pedestrians, open air gyms and a park for people to visit are being constructed. “These model parks will also serve as a tourist spot which will indeed increase the charm of the place,” he added.
This project will eventually go beyond Karnal. The Haryana Pond Authority and the Panchayati Raj Department of the state have undertaken these steps in Karnal, and soon these are likely to be replicated in many other parts of Haryana.
COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT
Mr. Yadav conducted an inspection in the last week of December and instructed the concerned officials to complete the task before the rains disturb the completion of the project. He also asked the residents to take full authority after the completion of the project and maintain the model park with utmost cleanliness.
The model park in Kachwa village is being built in around 11 acres, which covers a radius of one kilometer. A total of Rs 80 lakhs is being invested in this village. The model pond in Sagga village is being built in around 9 acres with a total cost of Rs. 78 lakhs.
A 2,800-metre-long pipeline is being laid by the irrigation department in Sagga village for a constant flow of water and the work is expected to complete till April this year. The model pond in Gonder village is being built at a cost of 1.75 crores.
Mr. Yadav said, “After the project is completed, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Haryana Manohar Lal Khattar will be inaugurating these ponds.”
The steps taken by the IAS officer is being hailed in all these four villages.
