DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Chief Secretary Anurag Verma on Thursday directed deputy commissioners to visit vulnerable spots in their districts again and ensure that flood protection work had been satisfactorily completed. He directed the officials to remain in touch with locals in villages near the vulnerable points during the entire monsoon season.

Verma held a meeting via videoconferencing with all deputy commissioners, said an official statement.

He directed them to be on their toes during the monsoon so that the public did not face inconvenience.

Krishan Kumar, the water resources department principal secretary, informed the meeting that the level of the Bhakra dam was at 1,590 feet on Thursday -- 8 feet lower than the level recorded during the corresponding period last year.

Similarly, the Pong dam's level is 30 feet lower and that of the Ranjit Sagar 34 feet lower than last year, the official said.

Verma said flood protection work costing Rs 252 crore was being done this year, which was almost 1.5 times the average work taken up during the last two years.

He directed the deputy commissioners to recheck that sewage systems in the cities had been cleaned.

They were also directed to review electricity arrangements with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited so that there was minimum disruption during the rains.

The deputy commissioners informed the chief secretary that they were ready with evacuation plans in case of emergencies.

Flood control rooms have been established in all districts. Shelters have been identified for humans and animals in case of emergency, they said.

Last month, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann visited the flood-prone areas along the Ghaggar river to take stock of the preparations to deal with floods at the ground level ahead of the

rainy season.

Several parts of Punjab and neighbouring Haryana witnessed flooding due to heavy monsoon rains last year that claimed more than 90 lives in the two states and caused extensive damage to property.
(editor@dailyworld.in)