By OUR STAFF REPORTER
DEHRADUN, 6 Mar: Chief Secretary Radha Raturi today held a review meeting regarding safety of the bridges in the state.
It may be recalled that many bridges in the state are stated to be unsafe but the traffic movement is still allowed. Raturi instructed the Public Works Department (PWD) to prepare and implement clear SOPs and guidelines for the Mining, Forest and Irrigation Departments keeping in view the safety of the bridges. It is believed that many of the bridges in the state have become unsafe due to uncontrolled quarrying of sand and stones from the rivers.
Raturi directed that the safety standards in the construction and maintenance of bridges and constant monitoring of the construction works must be ensured. She instructed the District Magistrates along with all the departments concerned to continuously supervise the construction and maintenance of bridges. Shegave instructions to install CCTVs to stop mining in restricted areas.
Raturi said that the helpline mechanism should be strengthened so that the public can complain about mining activities in restricted areas. Public awareness should be increased in this regard. The Chief Secretary also directed the Irrigation Department to provide river training in upstream and downstream for the safety of bridges located on the river. For the construction of flood protection work, instructions were also given to do hydraulic analysis on the basis of hydrological parameters.
At the meeting, the PWD officials shared that due to excessive rains/floods last year, 97 bridges under the Public Works Department had become unsafe, out of which now 18 bridges are out of the unsafe category following repairs, while repair work is in progress on 49 bridges. Departmental proceedings are in progress regarding other bridges.
Secretary Dr Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Additional Secretary Vineet Kumar and officials of Forest, Mining and Irrigation Department were present at the meeting
