35 waterbodies of city getting rejuvenated: CM

Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Monday said 35 waterbodies had been rejuvenated and renovated across the state and expressed hope that the ongoing restoration of the Prabhu Bari pond in Agartala would be completed within the next three months.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting the restoration work, Saha said the Shiv Bari pond had recently been rejuvenated and work on the Prabhu Bari pond was progressing.

"A few days back, the Shiv Bari pond was rejuvenated. The Prabhu Bari pond is also a very important water body of the state and it has been encroached upon by many people. We have decided to restore it," he said.

The Chief Minister said he personally visited the project site after receiving information that the pace of work was slower than expected.

"I heard that the pace of the work was a bit on the slower side, which is why I personally inspected the project. The work is going on properly. I hope within the next three months the project will be completed," he said.

Saha also visited another waterbody at Madhyapara as part of his inspection.

He said a total of Rs 3.5 crore was being spent on the two restoration projects.

"A total cost of Rs 3.5 crore is being spent on both the projects. We are also bringing funds from the Asian Development Bank for development of the city, and Smart City projects are also underway," he said.

The Chief Minister said he was regularly monitoring the progress of the projects.

"I am personally visiting the projects today, but I constantly keep in touch with the Mayor and the corporator of Ward No. 20 for timely completion of the projects," he said.

Targeting the opposition, Saha alleged that the Congress and the CPI(M) had failed to focus on environmental protection and urban infrastructure during their tenure.

"The Congress and CPI(M) never think about the environment, civic amenities and city infrastructure. They are basically troublemakers and survive on creating problems, while we are committed to making people's lives easier," he said.