Shimla, July 7 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh on Tuesday said 4,228 multi-task workers have been deployed to restore road connectivity disrupted by the monsoon.

Chairing a review meeting of the Public Works Department to assess the preparedness for the monsoon season, the minister directed the officers to remain fully prepared to respond to any emergent situation.

He said the department has deployed 11,137 ‘beldars’ across the state to restore road connectivity wherever it has been disrupted. In addition, 1,156 departmental and private machines, including JCBs, bulldozers, robotic equipment and tippers, have been positioned for round-the-clock road restoration work. Besides, six Bailey bridges have been made available for emergency use.

The minister directed officials to ensure that machinery, Bailey bridges and construction materials were strategically positioned at important locations. He also directed them to complete advance tendering to ensure the availability of additional private machinery whenever required.

The minister said before the onset of the monsoon, the department had resurfaced 155.95 km of roads, carried out patchwork on 924.94 km, cleaned drainage channels along 8,893.58 km of roads and cleared culverts on 9,414 km of roads.

He directed officials to continue regularly cleaning drains and culverts to minimise damage from waterlogging. He also directed officials to ensure uninterrupted road connectivity to essential institutions, including hospitals, police stations, educational institutions, fire stations, pumping stations, and power installations.

They were directed to identify vulnerable roads, bridges, and landslide-prone areas in their respective jurisdictions and to monitor them closely during the monsoon.

The minister further directed officials to immediately share details of damage caused by landslides, cloudbursts or floods with the revenue authorities, along with photographs and videos for proper assessment.

He also directed the department to establish round-the-clock control rooms during the monsoon to ensure a prompt response to emergencies.

–IANS

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