HC to state: Remove encroachments from village ponds soon

HIGH COURT BENCH ALSO ASKS THE PUNJAB POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD TO MONITOR QUALITY OF WATER OF THESE PONDS

CHANDIGARH : The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday asked Punjab government to remove all the encroachments and unauthorised constructions raised on village ponds within six months.

The high court bench of justice Rajiv Sharma and justice HS Sidhu also asked the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to monitor quality of water of village ponds.

The deputy commissioners across the state have been directed to ensure that no untreated sewerage/sewage is discharged in the village ponds. The mining activity of any nature whatsoever in the village ponds throughout the state is banned, the court said adding that stringent action be taken against the defaulters.

The high court was hearing a plea of one, Tejinder Kumar and others from Jalandhar who had levelled allegations of illegal sand mining from a pond in Kang Araya village, Phillaur, Jalandhar.

The government had told court that the district development and panchayat officer, Jalandhar, is seized of the matter and had sent mining officials to visit the spot to verify the facts. Appropriate action will be taken in this case, the government had told the court.

The high court bench took suo motu note of the petition and has issued directions which are to be implemented across the state. “The village ponds are essential for re-charging of ground water. The village ponds are part of eco-system and also support aquatic life,” the bench said, adding that maximum number of village ponds have been encroached upon and unauthorised construction has been raised with impunity.

“The encroachment has also been made on catchment areas as well. The untreated sewerage/sewage is permitted to be let off in the village ponds affecting the fragile ecology of the area. There is urgent need to revive, conserve, preserve, repair, rejuvenate and restore village ponds,” the bench said adding that the village ponds support the regional eco-system and it is the constitutional/statutory duty of the gram panchayat to safeguard the water bodies/ water sheds in their territorial jurisdiction.

The bench has also directed that government would ensure that all village ponds are revived, repaired, renovated, rejuvenated after restoration within a period of six months and further that revenue record of these be upgraded.