Raipur: Considering state government’s top priority to water conservation and plantation it is necessary to fill all the ponds with rain water, Raipur Commissioner GR Churendra said.
Noting that about 70% ponds are not being filled to their capacity due to encroachment in their catchment areas he said that it became a major cause of concern for the societies.
Addressing a meeting of the officers over water conservation, forest management and plantation in Balodabazar District headquarters yesterday the Raipur Divisional Commissioner instructed the concerned officers to take all necessary measures to fill the ponds with rain water with removal of encroachments.
The Commissioner also called for public movement to ensure massive public participation in plantation. The meeting, lasting for nearly four hours at District Panchayat Conference Hall was attended by Baloda Bazar Collector Kartikeya Goyal, DFO Vishwesh Kumar, District Panchayat CEO Ashutosh Pandey, Additional Collector Jogendra Nayak and senior officers of all other departments.
According to Commissioner Churendra, rivers and nullahs do not have water all through the year only because ponds in the villages are running dry. Keeping this in mind it is necessary to fill the ponds with ground water. Ground water is being excessively utilised for different reasons, he said, adding that paddy farming during summer caused depletion of ground water level.
To avoid this situation it is necessary to find an alternative to paddy farming during Rabi season, he said adding that it was necessary to go in for oil and pulse and vegetable farming. State government is promoting farming of oil and pulse crops and vegetable crops through various schemes.
