Reiterating the commitment of the SAD-BJP alliance government to make the State free from water-logging, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday formally launched ‘Roko Sem’ campaign here.
During the launch, the Chief Minister said every inch of land in south western Punjab would be made free from curse of water logging, which has given a severe blow to the State’s economy.
The government would spend Rs 240 crore on anti-water-logging activities in a bid to wipe out the menace from south western Punjab, the Chief Minister said adding that in the preliminary phase, work for de-watering and de-silting 452 ponds in 263 water logged villages would be undertaken.
He said that during the rainy season, the ponds were used for storing excess water in these districts. However, during the rest of the year, these ponds were used merely for disposal of waste water.
Thus a massive drive has been initiated to clean and de-silt them, so that their capacity could be enhanced, he added.
Mr. Badal said the move would help reduce the level of water in ponds adding that the drive needed to be completed by April so as to provide respite to people during the rainy season.
He also instructed the Secretary Irrigation Kahan Singh Pannu to supervise the entire exercise by constituting teams at block level.
Mr. Badal said that the concerned Deputy Commissioners would be entrusted with the task of carrying out the work in respective districts.
Pledging to construct all the water courses in the State, the Chief Minister said the construction of water courses of Kotla, Sirhind and Bathinda branch was being executed on war footing.
Noting that 1,909 km of water courses have been constructed in the Malwa region at cost of Rs 200 crore, he said that by March 2016, 1,200 kms of additional water courses would be constructed at a cost of Rs 150 crore, giving a major fillip to the irrigation facilities in Malwa region.