Over 100 projects restarted to face flood threat: UP minister

Subhash Mishra | TNN | Apr 27, 2020, 08:35 IST

Dredging work has started in 17 places in the state

LUCKNOW: Already late by over 40 days owing to the lockdown in wake of new coronavirus pandemic, jal shakti minister Mahendra Pratap Singh has ordered restart of over 100 irrigation projects to face flood threat during monsoon.
Talking to TOI, the minister said that the the lockdown had crippled the department’s functioning and any further delay would derail the irrigation projects launched to check floods in over 20 districts in eastern UP as well as the terai region of the state.
“The dredging work has been restarted at 17 places to regulate the flow of rivers and major canals to check flood water entering agriculture fields during monsoon period,” the minister said adding that the projects worth Rs 300 crore have been relaunched in the last three days. “I have also issued directives to ensure that workers should adhere to lockdown conditions and maintain proper social distancing while discharging their duties,” he added.
The minister, who had chaired several meetings of departmental heads and engineers in the last three days, said that many parts of the state have to face the flood threat every year. “Thus, the flood related work should be geared up on time,” he added.
At these meetings, the jal shankti minister ordered officers concerned to give top priority to the check dam related works as by initiaing timely action last year the department had managed to save over four lakh hectares of agriculture land from being flooded.
The minister also issued directives for ensuring adequate availability of the potable water in the state.There should be no scarcity of drinking water during summers, he added.