Badal calls for execution of master plan to end water logging

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today called for the "faultless execution" of the master plan to end water logging in the state.
Winding up his three-day tour in rain-triggered water logged districts of the state, Badal said the master plan conceived by the state government last year, after minutely observing the gravity of situation, would permanently wipe out this problem, which causes huge loss every year.
He said the need of the hour was to immediately accomplish the task of relief and rehabilitation in the affected districts for resuming the work initiated under this master plan in a planned manner.

Badal also asked Secretary, Irrigation, Kahan Singh Pannu to personally supervise the implementation of the master plan, so that people could get a major reprieve.
He said that under the proposed revamping of the drainage system, the Irrigation Department has been directed to convert all the drains of the state into flood water carrying drains.
Stating that the floods have been causing a lot of damage to the crops and properties of the residents, he said the conversion of the drains was the need of the hour.
Badal said that the banks of flood-water carrying drains would be permanently lined against the temporary ones of existing drains so that loss to crops could be minimised.

He also directed the Irrigation Department to prepare an estimate of the entire project within a month for its early execution.