Bhagwant Mann vows to clear Punjab fields of silt by Sept 24, launches Rs 100-crore drive

The Punjab Government on Saturday launched a cleanliness drive for flood-hit areas in the state, with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann vowing to make affected villages silt-free by September 24.

Estimated to cost Rs 100 crore, the exercise has been initiated a day after the government issued standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the removal of silt from fields. The government has allowed farmers to clear their land and sell the silt deposited by rivers without obtaining a permit till December 31. They are also not required to pay any royalty.

However, farmers have expressed concern over the expenditure they will have to incur for the clearing of silt, saying its sale would hardly earn them Rs 2,000 per trolley due to its inferior quality.

Huge swathes of land have been covered with silt in the state as standing crops on around 4.81 lakh acres were damaged by floodwaters.

Interacting with mediapersons, the CM said though floodwaters had receded from several areas, it was essential to remove the silt to make the fields cultivable again. He said the drive had been launched for all 2,300 affected villages and urban areas.

Mann said his government had constituted teams, equipped with earth-moving machines and tractor-trailers for the purpose. He said as cattle also died in the flooding, their carcasses would be properly dispose of, for which fogging would be carried out in every village to prevent the spread of diseases.

He said every affected village would get Rs 1 lakh as initial amount to start the drive. Mann said by October 15, repair work at public places would be completed. The CM added that the government would set up medical camps in all 2,303 flood-affected villages.“In 596 villages, where Aam Aadmi Clinics already exist, facilities and medicines will be available,” he said, adding that the government had arranged 550 ambulances for the special campaign. Mann said as per reports, lakhs of animals had been impacted in 713 villages. “Veterinary doctors have been deployed in all villages and a special campaign is being run for the cleaning and disinfection of animals,” he said.