Chandigarh: In an effort to further strengthen flood control measures in the state, Haryana government on Monday granted in-principle approval for 604 new schemes.
This initiative, with a total budget of Rs 1,205.89 crore, was approved during the 55th meeting of the Haryana State Drought Relief and Flood Control Board, convened under the chairmanship of chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar here.
Focus of Flood Control Schemes
The majority of these schemes primarily focus on protection of Abadi, protection of agricultural land, procurement of flood machinery, reclamation of agricultural land, conservation and reuse of water and renovation or reconstruction of structures for smooth flow of drains. Deputy chief minister, Dushyant Chautala and agriculture and farmers’ welfare minister, J P Dalal also remained present in the meeting.
Areas of Emphasis
The new flood schemes approved included 77 for Yamunanagar district, 42 for Sonepat, 67 for Jhajjar, 36 for Rohtak, 53 for Ambala, 43 for Kaithal, 31 for Kurukshetra, 16 for Hisar, 22 for Charkhi Dadri, 27 for Fatehabad, 20 for Karnal, 28 for Jind, 17 for Panipat, 15 for Bhiwani, 18 for Nuh, 5 each for Mahendergarh and Faridabad, 14 for Palwal, 42 for Panchkula, 10 for Sirsa and 3 each for Rewari and Gurugram districts.
The chief minister instructed during the meeting all deputy commissioners (DCs), who participated in the meeting virtually, to collect requests from residents in their respective districts for the construction of dams to mitigate any flood risks. They were further directed to collect resolutions in this regard from Panchayats and transmit them to the headquarters through the divisional commissioners. He further instructed all DCs to ensure the expeditious implementation of all flood control schemes within a specified timeframe.
Frequency of Board Meetings
The chief minister stressed the need for proactive measures to prevent any adverse consequences, as floods could lead to significant loss of both lives and property. To achieve this objective, the meeting of the Haryana State Drought Relief and Flood Control Board is now convened twice a year, ensuring that all flood-related initiatives are finalised well in advance.
