Drains to be cleaned before monsoon

Lucknow: Ahead of the monsoon season, the Yogi govt will focus on upgrading the drainage system across the state. Senior officials of the urban development department held a meeting on Tuesday to implement the key points raised by the Chief Minister on the matter.
The department started working on a long-term stormwater strengthening programme, which will be commissioned with a budget of Rs 1,131 crore, covering 10 key cities. Principal secretary, urban development department, Amrit Abhijat, said that municipal commissioners and executive heads of the urban local bodies have been instructed to take immediate measures and launch a pre-monsoon cleaning drive at the earliest.
"We have adopted a three-pronged approach — drains cleaning, timely maintenance of the pumping stations, and advanced drone surveys to identify vulnerable spots and their present condition," said Abhijat.
Director of urban local bodies, Anuj Jha, said that executive heads have been directed to provide safety gear and masks to workers deployed for cleaning the drainage and sewerage system. Yogi Adityanath, during a recent review meeting with the urban development department, asked the officials to ensure drains remain free of silt and debris. The local bodies have also been directed to create digital maps and prepare a platform where the status of the cleaning of the vulnerable points is updated on a yearly basis.
Moreover, emergency response teams with mobile pump sets and tools will be deployed to address cases of sudden waterlogging during the rainy season.