New Delhi, April 10 -- The government has roped in the Indian Railways to dig ponds along its tracks to aid Mission Amrit Sarovar, a project aimed at conserving water resources across the country, two people aware of the matter said.

The soil excavated to build these ponds can be used by the national transporter to build embankments to aid the faster laying of tracks and expand the rail network, one person said. The areas burrowed by the railways can be converted into Amrit Sarovar or artificial ponds.

Mission Amrit Sarovar was launched in April 2022 with the goal of constructing or rejuvenating 75 ponds in each district, totalling 50,000 across the country. Each pond will be constructed on at least 1 acre of land with a water-holding c...