Chetan Singh Jouramajra reviews strengthening of Ghaggar bandh

Chandigarh, June 22

Punjab Water Resources Minister Chetan Singh Jouramajra today directed officials to complete the ongoing strengthening work of the Tiwana bandh over Ghaggar river within a stipulated time to avert any untoward incident during the monsoons. Visiting Tiwana, Amlala, Khajur Mandi and Alamgir, the villages prone to floods due to the river, along with Dera Bassi MLA Kuljit Singh Randhawa, the minister said the CM Mann-led state government was committed to ensure pre-monsoon arrangements across the state.

Strengthening works and cleaning of water bodies were being done, and no laxity would be tolerated with the quality and deadline of these works, he added.

“An amount of about Rs 9 crore has been allocated for fortifying and repair works of the bandh across the Ghaggar river in Tiwana and Alamgir area to install a 2,900-ft bandh, out of which, the work over 2,400-ft has already been completed and the rest of the work would be finished on war footing,” he said. On being presented a demand for a poclain machine by locals, the minister directed the engineers present to arrange the required machinery at the earliest to speed up the strengthening work.

The minister assured the locals of flood protection measures, including the cleaning of the Sarsini-Sdhanpur rivulet, before the onset of the monsoons. Randhawa sought the repair work of the Amlala bridge, which connects the area to Patiala road, on priority.

Earlier, Jouramajra and Randhawa also took stock of the ongoing work of the Mubarkpur Causeway near the Truck Union, Dera Bassi, and reviewed the progress of the work being executed by the Municipal Council, Dera Bassi. Randhawa added that the work of repair of another causeway from Bhankharpur to Issapur was also in progress and the work, with an estimated cost of Rs 1 crore, is expected to be finished before the start of the monsoons.

Randhawa said the visit would prove fruitful in pushing the ongoing works on Ghaggar to the finishing line, which would provide a big relief to the thousands of people prone to the Ghaggar floods.