Ahead of monsoon, drainage cleaning works yet to take off

Archit Watts

Tribune News Service

Muktsar, June 21

The monsoon is around the corner but the Irrigation Department is yet to start cleanliness, de-silting works of the drains. Sources said even the funds for the flood management works were allocated as late as Thursday.

Further, just Rs32 crore have been allocated for the entire state, which is much lesser in comparison to the past. A senior officer in the department said Rs 25 crore would be spent on routine works related to the cleanliness and de-silting works, whereas Rs7 crore would be kept reserved to tackle any emergency.

He said Muktsar district, which is the worst affected by waterlogging, would get just about Rs 3-4 crore for the entire works. “However, during the previous SAD-BJP government, the district was getting a lion’s share of Rs 12-15 crore. Now, only small drains will be cleaned and that too will be first prioritised,” said a department official.

He said as per rules, the cleanliness work has to be completed before the onset of the rainy season. “However, this year, the work will get delayed by a few days as the tendering process will also take some time,” he said.

Meanwhile, Sanjiv Gupta, Superintending Engineer, Ferozepur, said, “I am supervising some districts, including Ferozepur, Faridkot, Moga, partly Muktsar, Fazilka and Barnala districts. A major portion of the Sutlej flows in Ferozepur district thus we have to take huge flood control measures here. In other districts, there is some problem of waterlogging. We are expected to get about Rs 4 crore for the measures to be taken for the rainy season. The tenders will be floated in the next few days and the work will be hopefully started in the beginning of the next month. We will try to finish the work by the end of July.”

Similarly, Gurdial Singh, Superintending Engineer, Gidderbaha Circle, said, “We are expected to get about Rs 3 crore for all works related to rains in Gidderbaha, Lambi, Abohar, partly Muktsar, Abohar and Fazilka. Our priority will be to clean small drains choked with wild growth as the big drains have little water-carrying capacity. We have floated the tenders for these works. Besides, our own machinery will be pressed into service in two days.”

Notably, the rains had caused a huge loss in Muktsar district in 2013. Further, some drains have faulty designs and they often overflow.

Sources claimed waterlogging in Abohar might damage the kinnow orchards if it rained heavily as the department was short of funds.