Water resources department should be people-oriented: Minister Pijush Hazarika

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Stressing that the Water Resources Department should be a people-oriented one, State Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika on Monday directed departmental engineers and officials to complete every unfinished project on schedule.

Attending a review meeting with engineers and contractors in the presence of the chief engineer of the Water Resources Department at the Assam Jal Bhavan in Basistha, Guwahati, Hazarika asked the department to take complete evaluation of all ongoing works in the State. At the beginning of the meeting, the water resources minister appreciated the work of engineers, officials and contractors saying that people of the State got much respite from flood during this year's monsoon compared to last year. He mentioned that despite the amount of rainfall was less this year, timely intervention by the water resources department saved at least 15 embankments.

Citing a report by the chief engineer of the department, Hazarika said that in the last 20 years from 2000 to 2020, between 30 to 35 embankments were destroyed by floods on an average. He added that it was an achievement of sort for the department as no embankment was destroyed this year. He also appealed to everyone to brace up for the next monsoon from now onwards. He added that his first priority as minister was to ensure that all embankments are kept in good condition and to build new ones where required. He mentioned that sometimes he had to adopt strict action against departmental officials, engineers and contractors for the cause of greater good.

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