NHAI told to make DPR for new bridge over Swan: Dy CM

Una, July 10

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri today said that the state government has directed the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to prepare a detailed project report (DPR) for a new bridge over the Swan river in Una district.

The 60-year-old bridge on the NH-503 A at Ghaluwal village in Una district had to be closed for traffic on Sunday after heavy rainfall. It connects Una and Hamirpur with Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar and Amritsar.

1,007 bus routes suspended

• The Deputy CM was presiding over a review meeting on disaster mitigation works after heavy rainfall and floods.
• He said 1,007 bus routes had been suspended while 452 buses had been stranded at different locations due to landslides.
• Agnihotri said that the HRTC bus operators had been directed to not take undue risk while plying buses during heavy rainfall to prevent casualties.

The Deputy Chief Minister was presiding over a review meeting on disaster mitigation works after heavy rainfall and floods. He said 1,007 bus routes have been suspended while 452 buses have been stranded at different locations due to landslides. He said that the HImachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus operators have been directed to not take undue risk while plying buses during heavy rainfall to prevent casualties.

Agnohotri said the PWD structures in the state, including bridges and roads, had suffered damages to the tune of Rs 250 crore. Also, in view of the damages caused to 4,833 of the total 10,067 drinking water schemes in the state, the sanctioned leaves of all the field staff of the Jal Shakti Department have been cancelled. The work to restore supply of drinking water was being done on priority, he added.

Meanwhile, Chief Medical Officer Dr Sanjeev Verma issued a public advisory regarding certain diseases which spread during the monsoon and floods. As per the advisory, people need to be vigilant regarding scrub typhus, gastroenteritis, malaria and dengue, besides snake and insect bites.

The CMO advised people to cover their feet and hands to avoid mosquito bites and to not walk into bushes or grass. He said anti-snake venom is available at all the civil hospitals and victims should be immediately rushed to these facilities. He said that in case of fever, the patients should contact the nearest health centre where free medicines are available. He also advised people to drink boiled or chlorinated water and avoid defecating near water sources.