Department Responded Promptly in View of Rainfall; Reasons for Delays, Wherever Reported, to be Examined
Chandigarh: The Haryana Public Health Engineering Department acted promptly to address waterlogging during the monsoon in view of the rainfall received across the state. However, a detailed assessment is now being undertaken of locations where drainage took relatively longer, with the department seeking to identify the reasons behind such delays.
Public Works and Public Health Engineering Minister, Ranbir Gangwa has sought location-wise and division-wise reports from the concerned sub-divisions across all districts of the state. The reports will detail the locations that experienced waterlogging during the monsoon, the time taken to drain the accumulated water and, wherever drainage was delayed, the reasons behind it.
The Cabinet Minister said that considering the volume of rainfall, the department responded with due urgency and officials reached affected locations wherever required to take necessary action. He said he had also remained in constant touch with officials, issuing necessary directions. Nevertheless, he said, it was important to ascertain the reasons wherever drainage took longer so that the system could be further strengthened.
Ranbir Gangwa said that during an earlier meeting, officials had been directed not to leave their respective district headquarters during the monsoon and to continuously monitor waterlogging and drainage conditions in their areas. They had also been instructed to ensure adequate arrangements of necessary equipment and resources well in advance.
The Cabinet Minister made it clear that if the reports reveal negligence or any failure in discharging responsibilities at any level, accountability will be fixed on the concerned officer or employee and action will be taken in accordance with rules. He said negligence at any level would not be overlooked where it causes inconvenience to the public.
Ranbir Gangwa said he would soon convene a meeting with senior departmental officers to review the reports received from all districts. The meeting will examine the reasons for delays in drainage and discuss the measures required to address them.
The Cabinet Minister said the exercise was not intended to apportion blame, but to draw lessons from the experience of the monsoon and further strengthen the system. The government’s endeavour is to ensure that people do not face any inconvenience during rainfall and that the department is able to provide prompt relief whenever a problem arises.
He said finding lasting solutions to problems and providing better public services remain a priority of the State Government.
