By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR:A high-level virtual meeting was held under the chairmanship of Sambalpur MP and former Union Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan to address the threat of flood situation and the continuous waterlogging problem in Sambalpur city due to heavy rains.
MP Shri Pradhan said that it is our priority to relieve the people of Sambalpur from this recurring water shortage problem. For this, every important suggestion given by the local administration, experts and civil society will be accepted and immediate action will be taken. Every step and important information taken by the Sambalpur Municipal Commissioner should be made public in the ‘public domain’, so that the citizens can be aware.
A comprehensive and strategic blueprint should be prepared to solve the four major problems of the city namely drainage, sewage, drinking water and waste management. To deal with the emergency situation of waterlogging, arrangements should be made to remove blockages from drains and sewers on a war footing with the help of JCB, bulldozers and other machinery. The water supply system should be made more efficient so that no family is deprived of clean drinking water at this time. Waterlogging prevention should not be limited to government projects only, but should become a ‘people’s movement for cleanliness’. Shri Pradhan has advised social organizations, volunteers and ordinary citizens to come forward and keep the drains clean and not throw garbage here and there.
The Sambalpur district administration has informed that temporary high-power pump sets are being installed in the low-lying areas for quick drainage of rainwater, silt is being removed from the main drains and blockages obstructing the flow of water are being removed immediately. The meeting was actively attended by members of the city’s leading voluntary organizations and civil society and presented important proposals related to the real problems of the low-lying areas, the condition of the drains and sewers and city management.
Odisha’s Minister for Panchayati Raj, Drinking Water and Rural Development, Shri Ravi Narayan Naik, was a prominent participant in this meeting and gave important opinions.
