Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond stated that under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann and the guidance of Arvind Kejriwal, the Punjab government has launched a historic and large-scale mission to clean village ponds—an initiative unmatched since independence.
Speaking at a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Minister Tarunpreet Singh criticized previous governments for neglecting rural needs, pointing out that many village ponds had been ignored for 15 to 25 years. Due to this neglect, these ponds became sources of foul smells and mosquito infestations, making nearby areas unlivable.
For the first time in Punjab’s history, the Mann government has initiated a state-wide pond rejuvenation campaign. The goal is to clean nearly 15,000 ponds this year alone.
Minister Tarunpreet Singh reported that around 1,100 ponds have already been dewatered, and nearly 400 have undergone desilting. Depending on local conditions, both desilting and re-silting operations are being carried out. He recently visited several villages in the Fatehgarh Sahib district to inspect the progress himself and plans to visit more districts for direct monitoring.
Minister Tarunpreet Singh emphasized that many of these ponds had not been cleaned in decades, leading to overflow, bad odors, and mosquito breeding. Through this initiative, the Punjab government is aiming to transform these conditions and promote a cleaner, healthier rural environment—an important step toward the vision of a “Rangla Punjab.” He added that the state has sanctioned a budget of ₹4,573 crore for the all-round development of villages.
Minister Tarunpreet Singh also mentioned that the government is investing in rural infrastructure by maintaining village ponds, developing playgrounds, and ensuring the availability of sewage treatment systems for sustainable wastewater management.
Proper rejuvenation of ponds, he stressed, is vital for improving the local economy and supporting rural livelihoods.
Ahead of the upcoming monsoon season, the government will complete the necessary desilting and re-silting work to help recharge groundwater and combat the state’s declining water table.