Chandigarh, July 7 (IANS) Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Tuesday said that the government has put in place a monitoring and response mechanism to ensure the safety of human lives, agricultural land and public infrastructure during monsoon.

Chairing a high-level review meeting of the Water Resources Department here to assess the state’s flood preparedness and monsoon management, he undertook a review of flood protection and drainage management works, including drain cleaning, boulder stone and hybrid protection works, raising and strengthening of embankments, operation of flood control gates and other flood mitigation measures at vulnerable locations.

Goyal directed officers to keep all critical flood-prone sites under constant surveillance and ensure continuous monitoring of rivers, drains, embankments and flood protection structures. He also instructed officers to take immediate corrective measures wherever any vulnerability is noticed so that people do not face inconvenience during the monsoon.

Reviewing the progress of desilting works, Goyal assessed works being executed under various implementation models, including tender-based projects, volume-sharing arrangements, sites conveyed to the District Disaster Management Authorities (DDMAs) for approval, and other identified critical locations.

He directed officers to ensure timely completion of all desilting works ahead of the peak monsoon period to facilitate smooth drainage and prevent waterlogging during heavy rainfall.

The officials informed the minister that flood protection works include 101 boulder and hybrid protection works, 17 embankment raising works, 22 embankment strengthening works, 188 drain cleaning works and five flood control gate operation works involving an overall expenditure of around Rs 414.75 crore.

Directing all field officers to remain on high alert throughout the monsoon season, the minister instructed them to maintain round-the-clock vigil at flood-sensitive locations and ensure swift response to every emergency.

The Water Resources Minister said the government is fully geared up to tackle any flood-related situation through timely execution of flood protection works, continuous field monitoring and close coordination with all departments concerned and agencies to ensure public safety and minimise the impact of floods.

–IANS

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