Lt Governor Kiran Bedi on Monday said 406 ponds were rejuvenated in Puducherry and Karaikal districts as part of the 'Water Rich Puducherry programme' which was launched two years ago.
Bedi said a stretch of 804 km of irrigation channels were desilted during the last two years in Puducherry and Karaikal.
She was addressing representatives of various corporate bodies, educational institutions and banks who had participated by making contributions to the desilting of water bodies in the two districts under Corporate Social Responsibility and Employees Social Responsibility.
The Lt Governor said the water rich programme was launched in November 2017 and the next phase was 'Green Puducherry' to raise saplings.
She said Puducherry had become a role model for other pockets to emulate, adding that there were several intervening Tamil Nadu pockets in the territorial limits of Puducherry.
The green Puducherry and water rich programme are being implemented for the whole region so that the Tamil Nadu villages would also benefit in having a rise in water table following desilting of channels, she said.
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"Jal Shakthi is linked to Jan Shakthi," Bedi said and appreciated the team work put in by officials, private players and voluntary organisations to implement the water rich programme.
The Lt Governor handed 'Swachchta Awards' to officials of corporate bodies, banks and institutions on the occasion.
The water table has risen in Karaikal by 10 feet, she said.
M.R.Bhat, Regional Director(Southern Region) of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs appreciated the implementation of the water rich programme.