Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday approved the purchase of advanced amphibious machines for carrying out rescues during floods and desilt rivers and drains. Reviewing the state’s preparedness for monsoon, he said these machines were capable of operating even in flowing water and could carry out deep desilting, making them critical to both preventive action and emergency response. He asked officials to prepare a detailed report on the procurement of the machine. “I saw the operations of this machine recently during my trip to Finland where these multipurpose machines are optimally utilised,” said Mann.He added these machines could be effectively deployed for maintenance and cleaning of rivers, drains, ponds and other water bodies, alongside flood protection works. “The acquisition of these machines by the state govt will go a long way in mitigating the woes faced by people due to fury of floods,” he noted.Highlighting water-management concerns, Mann said, “The maximum water level of the Bhakra Dam was 1,680 feet and on April 26 this was recorded as 1,594 feet.” He stressed that with paddy sowing set to begin from June 1, water release must be planned carefully in view of the approaching monsoon. “Since the state is all set to start the sowing of paddy crops from June 1, maximum water should be released from the Bhakra Dam keeping in view the monsoon season ahead,” he said. “By May 31 the ongoing work on new and revival of watercourses in the state will be completed after which 5,000 cusec more water will be required for irrigation purposes,” he added.
