Amarinder meets Jal Shakti minister, seeks comprehensive mechanism to check floods

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday called on Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and urged the Centre to evolve a comprehensive mechanism to check recurrence of floods in the state.

After the meeting, Amarinder told reporters that he had apprised the Union minister of the ravages caused by the floods in Punjab, which was not in a position to bear the losses year after year.

"I have suggested to the Union minister various measures like desilting, and creation of water reservoirs. It is now up to the central ministry to find ways and means to avert such crisis in the future," he said.

Stressing that his government's top priority in the wake of the recent floods was to save lives, the chief minister said, "Many of the state's villages were submerged in water with more than 1.72 lakh acres of crops damaged and 500 houses destroyed in addition to the loss of cattle."

Asked about the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) charge that his government had failed to provide adequate relief to the flood victims, he said, "The SAD should have taken steps during their 10-year rule to build and strengthen the state's infrastructure. They should have taken up the shovels to clean the rivers.