Bhopal, Aug 11 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Monday that development and environmental protection must be harmonised in a planned manner, ensuring that nature conservation is alongside progress of the state.

The Chief Minister noted that India’s ancient construction traditions still guide the field of engineering.

He said, citing the example of Bhopal’s Upper Lake, that it was built without blocking any main river channel, utilising a technique that stores water between natural rock formations.

“This lake (Upper Lake) is not merely ornamental but also a grand source of drinking water. Its structure allows excess water to flow out naturally, reducing maintenance costs,” the Chief Minister said while addressing the inaugural session of a workshop organised by Public Works Department (PWD) in Bhopal.

Chief Minister Yadav also added that while constructing roads, underpasses are being built beneath bridges to enable tigers and other wild animals to cross safely without affecting traffic.

“It is merely not the application of technology, but a prime example of harmonising ecological preservation with development,” he said.

He stressed that due consideration must be accorded to the quantity of construction materials, the quality of design and overall cost-effectiveness.

“An engineer should possess equal proficiency in science, mathematics, and technology, and utilise the available resources to their fullest potential. Quality matters more than quantity in construction,” CM Yadav said.

Addressing the gathering of PWD engineers from across the state, the Chief Minister said that one should undertake projects that make the country proud and remain useful for future generations.

Even within departmental scope and rules, engineers should use creative thinking to find solutions so that projects excel in quality, cost, and environmental standards.

Meanwhile, Public Works Minister Rakesh Singh said this may be the first time that all engineers of Madhya Pradesh have connected simultaneously through physical and virtual means.

Singh remarked that true development can be realised only when structural progress goes hand-in-hand with environmental conservation.

He noted that our ancestors constructed structures in ways that allowed future generations to continue reaping their benefits.

Singh told that engineers from Madhya Pradesh have been sent to other states to study better techniques.

To ensure high quality, the department has decided to purchase bitumen used in construction only from government refineries.

–IANS

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