Chandigarh, Apr 11 (PTI) Haryana’s Irrigation and Water Resources Minister Shruti Choudhry on Friday held a review meeting with the officials of the Irrigation Department regarding flood control measures.

The minister instructed the officials of all the districts to complete the preparations related to flood control by June 30, an official statement said here.

The meeting, which was held in Delhi, was to review the progress of various projects and programmes related to irrigation.

The minister also discussed with the officials the status of the existing projects, the challenges and solutions.

The monsoon weather forecast was also discussed in the meeting and it was decided to keep a special vigil in the areas prone to floods.

Choudhry said if any deficiency is found in any project or there is any kind of delay, then action should be taken by fixing the responsibility of the concerned officials.

The minister emphasised the importance of micro-irrigation schemes across the state, remodeling of drains, construction of permanent pump houses, laying of pipelines in low-lying areas and letting flood water flow into drains.

She said the embankments of the canal that are located towards the villages should be strengthened. Apart from this, stone studs should be made to prevent soil erosion.

The minister said work should be done on a war footing where new ponds are being built. Along with this, she appealed to the public regarding water conservation and said water should be used according to the need so that there is no wastage.

Senior officials of the Irrigation Department were also present in the meeting while the district officials joined through video-conferencing. PTI SUN KSS KSS