Hry notifies draft bill for setting up Pond Development body

The Haryana government has notified a draft bill for setting up a Pond Development, Protection and Conservation, Pond Water and STP Treated Affluent Utilization Authority.
The authority would manage all ponds located outside notified forest areas in the state, excluding those having an area of less than half an acre. Objections and suggestions have been invited on the draft bill, an official spokesman said here today.
He said the authority would consist of the chief minister or minister for irrigation and water resources as chairperson, and chief secretary as vice-chairperson.
The spokesman said the functions of the authority would include survey and study, regulations, control, protection, conservation, reclamation, regeneration, restoration, construction, environmental impact assessment and planning, evolving integrated plan for development of ponds.

The functions of the authority would also include removal of encroachment of ponds, use of pond water for cattle, fire fighting, education or tourism and utilization of pond water and treatment thereof wherever required.
It will also look at utilization of affluent of sewage treatment plants for the purpose of irrigation by developing infrastructure such as pumping machinery, channels and pipe system.

Nobody will construct any structure on pond land, occupy any pond land or part thereof, or cause any obstruction in the natural or normal course of inflow or outflow of water into, or from, the ponds on the upstream or downstream without specific permission of the authority.

The spokesman said ownership of land of ponds of various departments of the state government would vest in the authority.
"But if and where the land of the pond is in the name of the gram panchayat, it will continue to be in the name of the that panchayat," he said.
Every town planning authority would consult the Authority before preparing spatial or development plan of any area comprising a pond, he said.
The spokesman said any police officer or designated officer or empowered officer may without orders from a magistrate and without a warrant, arrest any person reasonably suspected of having committed any offence under the proposed law punishable with imprisonment of up to six months.