Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday reviewed ongoing short-term projects across the state in preparation for the upcoming monsoon season. He directed concerned officials to complete all essential work on a priority basis before the monsoon. Any kind of negligence in this regard will not be tolerated, he said.
Chairing a meeting with officials from the Irrigation and Water Resources, Public Health Engineering and Urban Local Bodies departments, the Chief Minister directed that all the drains in the state should be cleaned immediately to prevent waterlogging and potential flood situations during the rainy season.
He instructed officials to strengthen riverbeds by desilting the Saraswati, Markanda and Tangri rivers to maintain the natural flow of water. He also directed the officials to ensure the immediate removal of water hyacinth from drains and other water channels to prevent any obstruction to the flow of water. In addition, all the dams in the state should be inspected in advance and if any deficiency or damage is found anywhere, it should be repaired promptly, he added.
The Chief Minister stressed that all short-term projects must be executed on a war footing ahead of the monsoon. He also directed that details of the works being undertaken by the Irrigation and Water Resources and Public Health Engineering departments should be shared with local public representatives and the respective Deputy Commissioners.
While reviewing the condition of khaals (water channels), the Chief Minister instructed officials to compile a list of all khaals over 20 years old, so that an action plan can be developed for their cleaning and repair.
The Chief Minister, while issuing special directives to keep the Yamuna River free from pollution, said that no untreated or contaminated water should be discharged into it. He said that in areas where industrial waste is currently flowing into the river, the establishment of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) must be ensured without delay. He also instructed officials to prepare comprehensive proposals for CETP projects in the concerned cities.