Ghaziabad’s ‘big fish’ ponds seem headed to an early, watery grave. In Ghaziabad, only 82 ponds exist against the earlier count of 147. The Aranya-Eco NGO on Saturday submitted a memorandum to Water Resources Minister Uma Bharti for constituting a national pond development authority.
The NGO organised a demonstration here on this and submitted that due to increasing pollution of river water, traditional water resources must be developed on priority basis.
Aranya-Eco secretary Sanjay Kashyap said that apart from being water resources, ponds are significant in view of conservation of biodiversity and environment. Therefore, the need to establish a national pond development authority is a must.
A Famine Inquiry Commission in 1944 had underscored the value of ponds and tanks in water management. The same opinion was highlighted by the International Crops Research Institute.
Former Agriculture Commissioner BR Bhamboola had said where rainwater percentage was between 750 mm and 1,150 mm, pond-based integrated farming would assume significance.