Rs 57-lakh project to desilt feeders of Pushkar Sarovar

Ajmer: Pushkar town administration has started the work of de-silting the five feeders of the holy pond (Sarovar) to facilitate inflow of water during monsoon.

The project started under MGNREGA is estimated to cost Rs 57 lakh. It is providing work to 350 people every day.

After the call of the state government to provide work to rural people under MGNREGA following three consecutive lockdowns, the Pushkar administration came out with project ‘Operation Feeder Clean’.

“Some credit goes to social activist Arun Parashar who floated this idea to me and BDO (block development officer) Vijay Singh Chauhan who took me to the site and I immediately approved it,” said Devika Tomar, sub-divisional officer, Pushkar.

The project involves cleaning the five feeders that bring water from the Nag Hills to Pushkar Sarovar. The first one extends from Badar Mata to Buda Pushkar, second is from Noser Ghati to Kapil Kund, the third is from Kherkedi to Vamdev Road, the fourth is from Pushkar Sarovar to Leela Sevadi and the last one is from Saraswati Temple to Pushkar Sarovar.

These feeders were constructed about 15 years ago to bring water to the holy pond.

“But after construction, there was no maintenance and now SDM Devika Tomar has taken the initiative to clean them,” said Deepu Maharishi, a priest in Pushkar.

The Nag Hills have herbs which have Ayurvedic value and the water coming from the hills is clean and beneficial. “The motive of this project is to provide something positive to the town while giving maximum employment to the rural people under MGNREGA,” added SDO Tomar.

Tomar says she visits the site daily to ensure the work is done properly. “My preference is keeping social distancing, providing water to labourers and mostly to women labourers working at the site,” the SDO said.

The administration passed the project to provide employment to total 19,925 labourers and to give jobs in rotation to villagers of Ganeheda and Leela Sewadi and surrounding villages.

Meanwhile, another project to stop leakage of Pushkar pond has been sent to the district administration for sanction, Tomar added.