Photo Source: Babushahi Bureau
Carry out desilting of drains, canals before arrival of monsoon season: Haryana CM Saini tells officials
DCs must ensure no polluted effluents fall into the Yamuna: Nayab Singh Saini
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, March 15, 2025– Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini directed all Deputy Commissioners to ensure the desilting of drains and canals in their areas and take concrete steps so that there is no waterlogging anywhere in the state during the upcoming monsoon season.
The Chief Minister was chairing the 56th Meeting of Haryana State Drought Relief and Flood Control Board here today. During the meeting, the Chief Minister emphasised that the focus of the Flood Control Board should be on raising structures and setting up robust infrastructure in cities and villages which can stop the flow of water into houses and fields during the monsoon season.
Focus on construction of stone studs & stone steining
Nayab Singh Saini emphasised the construction of stone studs, stone steining, remodelling of drains, construction of permanent pump houses, laying of pipelines in low lying areas and outfalling the flood water into drains across the state.
He ordered the review of large number of stone studs constructed for flood control so that any non-functional studs can be timely repaired.
He said an online portal must be created for this and the concerned Deputy Commissioners must carry out a survey of all the studs in their respective districts, and if any negligence is found, strict action should be taken against the erring contractor, including registration of FIR.
Equal focus on every region
The Chief Minister also ordered desilting of all large canals in the state and repair work of old canals. He also asked for a priority list of such projects and completion of all pending works at the earliest, adding that these cleanliness drives must be undertaken on a yearly basis.
He also said that such works need to be carried out with equal focus on every region, so that equitable development can take place in the entire state.
352 schemes amounting to Rs 657.99 crore approved for flood control
The Haryana State Drought Relief and Flood Control Board considered and approved 352 schemes amounting to Rs 657.99 crore (State Head + HWRA fund) for flood control in the state.
The Chief Minister directed to immediately take up the short term schemes as well as procurement of pumps and ensure their timely completion before June 30.
Medium and long term schemes as proposed by Irrigation and Water Resources Department will be taken up after pre-flood review meeting to be held in May this year.
The meeting was informed that 619 schemes for flood control have been completed while work is underway on 302 schemes. The procurement of different types of pumps, motors, panels etc. for dewatering and laying of pipelines for dewatering of flood water in permanent waterlogged areas having high Subsurface Water Level (SSWL) was also reviewed in the meeting.
No sewage water to be discharged in Yamuna
Issuing strict instructions, the Chief Minister ordered that no sewage water or polluted drain should fall into the Yamuna river as it was our collective responsibility to clean the Yamuna.
He said we need to find alternate arrangements for the outflow of sewage water and especially directed the Deputy Commissioners of Panipat, Sonipat, Palwal and Yamunanagar districts to set up Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in their districts to prevent polluted water from flowing into the Yamuna.
The Chief Minister reiterated Haryana’s commitment to clean the Yamuna river permanently. He also directed officials to look into the functioning of 6 STPs in Masani Barrage in Rewari and ensure their maintenance.
During the meeting, the Chief Minister also took district-wise report from all Deputy Commissioners regarrding the short-term, medium-term and long-term projects for flood control. He said the officials must work efficiently and ensure that these projects are completed within the prescribed timelines.
Creation of Zero Paddy areas
. Nayab Singh Saini said awareness drives can be taken out for farmers, encouraging them not to plant water-guzzling crops like paddy and switch to alternative crops to create Zero Paddy areas.
He said the panchayats doing commendable work in this regard must be felicitated so that other farmers are also encouraged to practice diversification in agriculture. He also suggested creation of a short film or video to spread awareness on this issue.
Haryana Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Financial Commissioner Revenue, Smt. Sumita Misra, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Sh. Arun Kumar Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary, Irrigation & Water Resources, Sh. Anurag Agarwal, Commissioner & Secretary, Public Health Engineering, Mohammed Shayin and senior officers of various departments were present on the occasion.