Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government will launch a large-scale road restoration campaign across rural areas from October, following the monsoon, to repair roads dug up for laying pipelines under rural drinking water supply projects.
Jal Shakti Minister Swatantra Dev Singh issued the directions on Monday while reviewing various drinking water schemes division-wise through a video conference from the office of the State Drinking Water and Sanitation Mission.
Singh directed departmental officials to complete preparations for the restoration campaign within the stipulated timeframe. He said several roads in rural areas had been dug up to facilitate the laying of pipelines for drinking water supply, while monsoon rains had further worsened road conditions and created difficulties for commuters.
The minister said the department was taking the issue seriously and instructed officials to begin a comprehensive restoration drive from October. The dug-up portions of roads are to be refilled, levelled and properly restored to ensure smooth movement for residents.
Officials Asked to Step Up Field Monitoring
During the meeting, Singh also sought feedback from engineers and superintending engineers of various zones regarding field inspections and night stays in their respective areas. Senior officials, including the concerned officials at the divisional level, were also directed to undertake night stays to monitor ongoing works more closely.
Reviewing drinking water projects under construction, the minister directed officials to complete all projects at the earliest within the prescribed timelines. He said additional manpower should be deployed wherever necessary to ensure timely completion.
Singh warned that negligence at any level in the execution of projects would not be tolerated.
Focus on Effective Water Management
The Jal Shakti Minister asked officials to give special attention to water management and ensure regular monitoring of drinking water schemes and supply systems so that they remain operational and effective.
He also directed all chief engineers, superintending engineers and executive engineers (XENs) to prepare confidential reports on the performance of subordinate engineers and agencies working under them and submit the reports to the Additional Chief Secretary.
The meeting was attended by Anurag Srivastava, Additional Chief Secretary, Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply Department, Uttar Pradesh; Yogesh Kumar, Managing Director, Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam (Rural); Joginder Singh, Executive Director, State Drinking Water and Sanitation Mission; Dr Rajesh Prajapati, JMD (Administration); Prabhash Kumar, JMD; D.K. Singh, State Coordinator; and other senior officials.
The planned restoration drive is expected to address road conditions affected by pipeline-laying works while improving mobility and public convenience in rural areas across the state.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
