Lucknow: To ensure that citizens do not have to face problems like waterlogging, dirt, communicable diseases, dengue, chikungunya, mosquito-borne diseases and supply of dirty water during rainy season in the urban bodies of the state, Urban Development and Energy Minister AK Sharma has directed to clean all drains and sewers by running a continuous cleaning campaign of 72 hours in all the bodies.
He said that nodal officers should also be posted in all the bodies to monitor and review the cleaning work, so that there is no shortage or mistake in the cleaning work of drains, where necessary, the work should also be monitored by drones.
Urban Development Minister AK Sharma virtually reviewed the cleaning work of the bodies from his 14-Kalidas residence and got to know the reality. He said that to ensure that there is no problem of waterlogging in cities during the rainy season, all flood pumping stations and pumping sets should be checked to ensure that they are in working condition.
Wherever there is a need for more pumping sets, arrangements should be made immediately. “The tendency of digging a well in case of fire will not work anymore.” All preparations should be completed before dirty water fills people’s houses. To prevent waterlogging in cities, the sediment of all drains should be cleaned. Wherever bushes have grown, they should be removed so that there is no obstruction in the flow of rainwater.
Negligence and laxity of any level in the cleaning of drains will not be tolerated. Speed up the cleaning work by making maximum use of manpower and machines, so that dirt, mud and waterlogging are not seen anywhere during the rainy season.
The Urban Development Minister said that waterlogging and dirt during the rainy season increase the chances of communicable diseases like dengue, chikungunya and mosquito-borne diseases. To prevent this, necessary medicines should be arranged and fogging should be arranged. There should be no supply of dirty water. There should be no waterlogging in empty plots.
People should also be made aware that there should be no waterlogging on the roofs, pots or any container of their houses. Pay special attention to regular cleaning during the rainy season. There should be no pile of garbage anywhere. Make proper arrangements for sewer cleaning by coordinating with the Jalkal department.
He instructed all urban bodies to bring transparency in tax collection. Every body should make the process of tax collection more organized and transparent in its area. He instructed to strictly implement the ban on the use of single-use plastic in the bodies. All bodies will have to ensure that plastic is not used and alternative materials are used in its place.
The minister discussed with all the Municipal Commissioners and Mayors of the municipal bodies and heard their problems and resolved them. He instructed all the concerned officials to ensure compliance of all these instructions and take urban development forward smoothly. He emphasized that every urban body should discharge its responsibilities promptly and honestly so that citizens do not have to face any kind of inconvenience.
In the meeting, Principal Secretary Urban Development Amrit Abhijat directed to organize a meeting at the district level and ensure preparation for the State Disaster Management Fund. For this, disaster management preparations will be reviewed in all the districts and necessary steps will be taken. He directed all the urban bodies to identify the dilapidated buildings and illegal hoardings in their area and remove them and take appropriate action. This will improve both the safety and beauty of the city. The Principal Secretary directed to complete the cleanliness campaign in a timely manner. He also ensured that all safety standards are followed during cleaning so that any kind of accident can be avoided.
In the meeting, Principal Secretary Urban Development Amrit Abhijat, Secretary Ajay Kumar Shukla, Director Urban Bodies Nitin Bansal and other officers participated virtually from the auditorium located at the Directorate and officers of all the bodies, Municipal Commissioners, Executive Officers from their bodies and all Chief Tax Assessment Officers, General Managers of Water Institute and Jalkal remained connected virtually.
