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Indian Express
a day ago
- Climate
- Indian Express
No flood-like situation in Punjab, water level in dams within safe limits: Minister Goyal
The water levels in reservoir in Punjab are stable and there is currently no flood-like situation in the state, Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal Monday informed the Vidhan Sabha. Responding to a call attention motion presented by MLA Rana Inder Pratap Singh regarding preventing flood threats in low-lying areas due to rising water levels in reservoirs, Goyal said that water levels in major reservoirs remained within safe limits as of July 10. He informed that the water level at Bhakra Dam stands at 1590.48 ft compared to 1614.89 ft on July 10, 2023 during the floods that year. Similarly, the level at Pong Dam is 1325.48 ft as against 1350.63 ft last year and at Ranjit Sagar Dam, it is 505.41 meters compared to 520.2 meters on July 10, 2023. The minister added that all three reservoirs are operating safely with ample buffer from danger levels. He said the Water Resources Department has executed comprehensive measures to tackle any potential flood situation. The government has allocated Rs 204.5 crore for flood mitigation. Utilizing SDMF, MGNREGA and departmental funds, 599 projects have been taken up, he said. Goyal said that over 4,766 kms of drains and choes have been desilted/cleaned using departmental machinery. Projects for strengthening embankments have been undertaken under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund (SDMF) while 8.76 lakh EC bags have been procured and 2.42 lakh EC bags have been filled and stored across districts, he added. Besides this, 53,400 bamboos have been planted along with completion of 1,044 check dams, 3,957 soak pits, and 294 kms of vetiver grass plantations to enhance soil stability. Goyal also said that control rooms are active across the state, emergency response teams are on standby and real-time monitoring of rivers and drains is underway across vulnerable zones. He reiterated that reservoir levels are stable and are well below critical limits. He said that the government has put robust systems in place at the ground level and in planning to respond swiftly and effectively to any flood threat. Earlier, the Sultanpur MLA drew the attention of the House towards the increase in water level in the reservoirs of the dams due to heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, a marker of flood risk for Punjab. He also pointed towards the 'poor condition' of embankments along the Beas River. Rana Inder Pratap Singh said that in the past six months, he identified 12 to 15 critical locations between Harike and Dhilwan where the embankments were 'alarmingly weak' and highly susceptible to breaches during rising water levels in the reservoirs. Singh said the vulnerabilities were shared in detail with the concerned deputy commissioner and the cabinet minister, and formal reminders were also sent. However, no concrete steps were taken, he claimed. The lawmaker emphasised that all repair and strengthening work needed could have been executed under the MGNREGA scheme, yet the situation persists. Citing an example, he reminded the House that during the 2023 floods, an isolated embankment spanning nearly 125 acres near the Goindwal bridge had obstructed the natural water flow. As a result, all water pressure converged at a single point, increasing the risk of a breach. He urged the Punjab government to undertake desilting in this area to prevent a similar crisis from occurring again. The MLA further sounded an alarm over alleged illegal mining activities in the embankment zones, particularly in areas where temporary structures have been erected by locals. Such unauthorised activity is aggravating the flood risk and must be urgently addressed, he said and urged the government to conduct a thorough inspection of all old and vulnerable embankments.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
No flood-like situation in Punjab, water level in dams within safe limits: Minister
Chandigarh, Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal on Monday informed the House that water reservoir levels in Punjab were stable and there was no flood-like situation in the state. No flood-like situation in Punjab, water level in dams within safe limits: Minister He said the state government was ready to meet any eventuality in this direction. Goyal was responding to a call attention motion presented by Independent MLA Rana Inder Pratap Singh about preventing flood threats in low-lying areas due to rising water in reservoirs. It was the third day of the ongoing special session of the Punjab Assembly. Goyal said water levels in major reservoirs remained within safe limits as of July 10. He informed the House that the water level at Bhakra Dam stood at 1,590.48 feet compared to 1,614.89 feet on the corresponding day in 2023 during floods in that year. The current level at Pong Dam is 1,325.48 feet, which was 1,350.63 feet on July 10, 2023, and at Ranjit Sagar Dam, it was 505.41 meters, as compared to 520.2 meters on July 10, 2023, he said. The minister said that all three reservoirs were operating safely with ample buffers from danger levels. He said the government has allocated ₹204.5 crore for flood mitigation, and 4,766 kilometres of drains and choes have been desilted and cleaned. He said projects for strengthening embankments have been undertaken under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund . A total of 53,400 bamboos have been planted, 1,044 check dams built, 3,957 soak pits and 294 kilometres of vetiver grass plantations introduced to enhance soil stability, he said. Goyal said control rooms are active across the state, emergency response teams are on standby, and real-time monitoring of rivers and drains is underway across vulnerable zones. He said the government has put robust systems in place at the ground level and is planning to respond swiftly and effectively to any flood threat. Earlier, the Sultanpur MLA drew the attention of the House towards the increase in water level in the reservoirs of the dams due to heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, a marker of flood risk for Punjab. He also pointed towards the "poor condition" of embankments along the Beas River. Rana Inder Pratap Singh said that in the past six months, he identified 12 to 15 critical locations between Harike and Dhilwan where the embankments were "alarmingly weak" and highly susceptible to breaches during rising water levels in the reservoirs. Singh said the vulnerabilities were shared in detail with the concerned deputy commissioner and the cabinet minister, and formal reminders were also sent. However, no concrete steps were taken, he claimed. The lawmaker emphasised that all repair and strengthening work needed could have been executed under the MGNREGA scheme, yet the situation persists. Citing an example, he reminded the House that during the 2023 floods, an isolated embankment spanning nearly 125 acres near the Goindwal bridge had obstructed the natural water flow. As a result, all water pressure converged at a single point, increasing the risk of a breach. He urged the Punjab government to undertake desilting in this area to prevent a similar crisis from occurring again. The MLA further sounded an alarm over alleged illegal mining activities in the embankment zones, particularly in areas where temporary structures have been erected by locals. Such unauthorised activity is aggravating the flood risk and must be urgently addressed, he said and urged the government to conduct a thorough inspection of all old and vulnerable embankments. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
25-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
After A Year's Wait, Rs20cr Approved For MahaMetro's Nag River Widening, Work Completed Now
Nagpur: The state govt has sanctioned Rs19.84 crore for Nag River widening work carried out by MahaMetro near the Krazy Castle stretch, over a year after the proposal for funding was first submitted. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While the official approval came only this week, MahaMetro already initiated and completed the work, ensuring that flood mitigation measures were not delayed. The intervention was part of broader efforts to improve Nag River's flood-carrying capacity and strengthen the city's resilience during the monsoon following the 9/23 havoc that caused heavy floods in the city in 2023. The project aimed at widening a 450-metre stretch of Nag River to meet flood flow requirements identified by the irrigation department. The department flagged the original width was inadequate to carry 140 cumecs of water, making it a priority section to be addressed ahead of monsoon. In response, MahaMetro took up the work using its own resources, without waiting for formal fund release. MahaMetro officials also confirmed that the entire work of the Nag River bed widening was completed with only minor work remaining in some places. The work began around October last year with desilting and excavation. Originally scheduled for completion in nine months by June 2025, the project got completed by the end of May—one month ahead of the deadline. The riverbed has now been widened to the required 18 metres, with desilting, embankment support, and other key components already completed. Only minor finishing work remains and is expected to be wrapped up shortly. The Rs19.84 crore has now been cleared under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund, as per a GR issued on June 23. The amount comes from the 15th Finance Commission's provision for disaster management and will cover the expenses MahaMetro already incurred on the project. MahaMetro officials and senior officials from the divisional commissionerate also confirmed the funds will be transferred to MahaMetro following its receival. Civic officials noted this stretch is crucial given its urban location and past vulnerability to heavy rains. The completion of the work ahead of the monsoon season is expected to ease pressure on the city's drainage network.
Hindustan Times
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Disaster response: UP submits proposals to Finance Commission, urges rule revision for funds
Lucknow, Highlighting disparity between death counts under state-notified disasters and the nationally recognised ones, the Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday said it has submitted a series of proposals to the 16th Finance Commission to fortify its disaster response and mitigation mechanisms. Key among these proposals is the request to revise the rules governing the State Disaster Response Fund and the State Disaster Mitigation Fund to ensure faster and more effective relief for disaster-affected citizens, it said in a statement. "The government has strongly advocated for the inclusion of state-notified disasters, such as heatwaves, lightning strikes, unseasonal rains, storms, snakebites, and drownings, in the national list of recognised disasters," it said. "This push stems from the reality that these incidents disproportionately impact Uttar Pradesh. For instance, in the financial year 2024-25, 4,534 deaths were reported due to state-notified disasters, compared to 176 from nationally recognised ones," the government said. According to the statement, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has personally taken the lead in urging the central government to acknowledge the severity of these challenges and to extend appropriate support. In line with this, the state has proposed increasing the permissible expenditure limit for state-notified disasters from 10 per cent to 25 per cent, reflecting the scale and intensity of their impact, it said. Another notable recommendation seeks to allow flexibility in fund allocation by permitting inter-head budget transfers within disaster funds. This would ensure optimal utilisation of resources, especially in cases where certain allocations remain unspent, it noted. Additionally, the state said it has requested approval to construct dedicated buildings for District Disaster Management Authorities in every district — a move currently not permitted under existing SDRF and SDMF guidelines. A demand has also been made to allocate 1 per cent of the fund for administrative expenses, which would support the creation of a more robust and responsive administrative framework for disaster management.
New Indian Express
10-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Stray dog attack on livestock: Tamil Nadu farmers to meet Chief Secretary
TIRUPPUR: Farmers in Tirupur district are planning to meet the Chief Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Government, seeking a permanent solution to the killing of livestock by stray dogs. They are also upset over a recent Government Order stating that farmers who lost their livestock by stray dogs cannot be compensated under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund. The killing of livestock by stray dogs has emerged as a major issue across the state, the worst-hit being farmers and public in Tiruppur, Erode, Chengalpattu, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Erode, Karur, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Namakkal, Perambalur, Ramanathapuram, Salem, Tenkasi, Thanjavur, Theni, Thoothukudi and Tirunelveli districts. However, farmers in Tiruppur and Erode districts have been demanding for over a year a permanent solution to this problem. They expect appropriate compensation from the government for livestock killed by stray dogs. In response to protests by farmers and recommendations of the two district collectors, the state government issued an order on March 21 ordering allocation of funds from the Chief Minister's Relief Fund to provide relief to owners of livestock killed by stray dogs in the six months preceding the date of the order. However, the order denied any compensation under the State Disaster Mitigation Fund.
