Punjab to promote rainwater harvesting

Punjab government has earmarked Rs 120 crore for harvesting rainwater through an Underground Pipeline System (UGPS).
An outlay of Rs 15 crore has been provided during current financial year to cover an area of 14,000 hectares, an official spokesman said here today.
He said that an expenditure during the year 2012-13 Rs 23.42 crore, 2013-14 Rs 30.21 crore and 2014-15 Rs 15.99 crore was incurred.
The problem of ground water depletion in central Punjab, scarce water resources in the northern sub-mountainous belt and brackish groundwater in the south-western part of the state can be very well addressed through use of UGPS systems, he said.

These systems not only save water but also help in improving yield and quality of farm produce, he added.
He said this was a three year development project to be implemented by the Department of Soil & Water Conservation.