This project has led to positively impacting the lives of over 2000 people in Bijalpur in Sangrur, PespiCo India said in a statement.
The rejuvenated wastewater pond was inaugurated by Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) Chairman Prof Adarsh Pal Vig, Bijalpur Sarpanch S Ranjeet and ADI’s Rajinder Nijjar and PepsiCo India Head of Sustainability Juhi Gupta.
PPCB Chairman Prof Adarsh Pal Vig said disposal of wastewater in the ponds is a major public health concern as the stagnant water leads to bad smell and spread of many diseases.
“There is an emerging need for water restoration and preservation leading to multiple benefits including ground water recharging, environment regeneration, and livelihood and the local level,” he said.
To take this initiative forward, PepsiCo India in partnership with ADI came forward to help the state government in their efforts to rejuvenate water bodies for daily household and irrigation purposes, he said.
“I would like to congratulate the team of PepsiCo India and ADI for coming forward to start an initiative of taking up the village ponds for in-site remediation through use mix of cost effective and indigenous biotechnologies-based techniques so that wastewater could be treated,” he said.
PPCB will always support and facilitate more of such water conservation projects with help of villagers and local communities to restore the ecology of Punjab, he added.
The program complements the effort of the Punjab government in cleaning the community ponds collecting household wastewater, and using the treated wastewater for irrigation purposes, reducing the burden of depleting fresh water sources.
This initiative will bring in more area under agriculture, as the wastewater pond will have water available round the year irrespective of climatic variability.
