The district administration created 36 new ponds under the Mission Amrit Sarovar in the past four months and aimed at creating one pond each in all 385 village panchayats in the district.
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As part of the 75th Independence celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Mission Amrit Sarovar initiative on April 24, 2022, with a view to conserving water for the future. The aim of the mission is to develop and rejuvenate 75 water bodies in each district in the country.
Under the initiative, the Salem district administration decided to create 104 new ponds and rejuvenate 56 existing ponds (160 works in total). Funds from the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act and Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam were used to create and revitalise the ponds. The sand excavated from the water bodies is given to road works carried out by the National Highways Authority of India and Chennai-Kanniyakumari Industrial Corridor Project in the district.
Collector S. Karmegam said steps had been taken to plant saplings along the newly created ponds and create parks. On the Independence Day, saplings were planted in the 36 new ponds and 15 rejuvenated ponds. The remaining 109 works in the district would be completed by August 15, 2023.
“If the ponds were desilted every year, it will save rainwater and the groundwater level will increase. So the public should also come forward to desilt ponds in their locality,” Mr. Karmegam added.