Chandigarh, May 19 — Haryana Chief Minister, Sh. Nayab Singh Saini chaired a meeting of the Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority in Chandigarh on Tuesday and directed to accord top priority to the management and upkeep of ponds across villages in the state. He emphasized that while beautification of ponds is important, strict measures must also be taken to ensure that contaminated water does not flow into them.

 The Chief Minister directed officers to undertake regular cleaning of ponds developed under the Amrit Sarovar Yojana and stressed that all works should be carried out with complete transparency while maintaining high construction standards.  Referring to ponds and johads situated within densely populated village areas, the Chief Minister said that sanitation and cleanliness around such water bodies must receive special attention.

 He  directed the officers  concerned  to strengthen pond embankments, undertake desilting operations, and remove wild grass growing along the edges.  He also directed that proper pathways for morning and evening walkers, seating benches and solar lighting facilities be developed around ponds for public convenience. 

  Sh. Nayab Singh Saini further directed that Gram Panchayats concerned should be made responsible for regular maintenance of ponds. He directed officers to conduct periodic inspections and ensure immediate rectification of any shortcomings noticed during inspections. The Chief Minister said untreated wastewater from villages should not be discharged directly into ponds.

  He directed officers to develop a three-pond treatment system so that wastewater is properly treated before being released into ponds. He said Prime Minister, Sh. Narendra Modi envisions providing better civic amenities in villages and transforming ponds into clean and aesthetically developed public spaces where people can spend quality time and engage in recreational activities.  

 The Chief Minister further directed officers to promote fish farming in large ponds.  He said ponds should be auctioned through an online auction portal and the revenue generated from such auctions should be utilised for maintenance and upkeep of the ponds. Keeping the forthcoming monsoon season in view, he also directed the officers to ensure timely cleaning of all drains across the state. 

 During the meeting, it was informed that Haryana has a total of 20,039 ponds, including 19,129 in rural areas and 910 in urban areas. So far, cleaning work of 6,777 ponds has been completed, while work on the remaining ponds will also be completed shortly.

 Chief Secretary, Sh. Anurag Rastogi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. Arun Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Irrigation & Water Resources Department, Sh. Anurag Agarwal, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Department, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar,  Director General, Housing for All Department, Sh. J. Ganesan, Director, Urban Local Bodies, Sh. Mukul Kumar, Deputy Principal Secretary to  Chief Minister, Sh.  Yashpal Yadav and other senior officers also remained present during the meeting.

  No. IPRDH/2026