SATISH HANDA
During a recent digital survey in Haryana State, Water Management Authority identified 18113 ponds were found encroached by land mafias as well as influential persons, which include 679 ponds in urban areas and 17434 ponds in rural areas in the state. of them3156 ponds were found in miserable condition. State government has constituted a district level committee in the state comprising of Superintending Engineer Irrigation Department, Executive Engineer Panchayat Department in every district across the state to identify and remove encroachments over ponds with the help of Deputy Commissioner in yte district. However, notices were sent to encroachers.
Information reveals, master plan has been prepared to give new life as well as face lifting of 200 ponds, some of them located near religious and historic monuments on the National Highway 44, of them work has already started at 103 ponds. A digital survey is going on to locate vanishing ponds encroached by land mafias when it was observed that in few cases after refilling of these ponds illegal construction was made there on or the land was further sold. On a writ moved under section 12(4) of Rule 164 where construction was made on the land where a pond existed in Panipat district, Bench of Justice D Y Chanderchud and Justice M R Shah in Supreme Court of India dismissed the appeal of illegal construction made on the area stating that such decisions related to government or Panchayat land or a pond are taken by the district administration and no construction on such land is permissible without permission from concerned district authorities.
Survey Repot of total number of 18113 ponds in Haryana state reveals, out of total number of 17291 ponds measuring above half acre area 1970 ponds were found having polluted water and overflowing from sides, 9836 ponds were found polluted but not overflow, 3156 ponds were observed unfit fo use due to severely polluted water in it, 9769 ponds were found used for farming, 4685 ponds were found perfect in all ways, 1578 ponds found found completely dry having no water in it, the water of 533 ponds in the state was seen used for crop irrigation and in 4040 ponds the water was being supplied from rivers.
