Punjab Government has drawn up an ambitious plan to undertake cleaning of more than 17,000 ponds across the State at a cost of Rs 762 cr with a portion of the funds for the project to be sought from the Centre.
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has given his nod to the proposal for the “remodeling” of 17,255 village ponds, stated a Government spokesperson on Thursday.
The Government aimed to apply to the Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation for funds from the Centre's flexi funds of Rs 9,000 crore under the 12th five-year plan.
Under the flexi-funds scheme, Centre has sought proposals from the States for the implementation of solid and liquid-based management systems in villages.
Projects thus identified would receive 70 per cent funding from the Centre while the respective State Government is to contribute the remainder of the budget.
Accordingly, the Centre is likely to sanction Rs 533 crore towards its share of the project in Punjab with the remaining Rs 129 crore to be provided by the State Government.
The scheme was aimed at tackling the menace of rural water ponds effectively through the liquid-based management. The problem of rural water ponds has become a major health hazard thereby impacting the health of the rural inhabitants, the spokesperson added.