The minister sought compliance reports from all municipal commissioners and additional deputy commissioners (urban development) and warned that negligence in the 'zero open manhole' campaign under Mission Clean Punjab would not be tolerated.
June 30 Deadline Set to Fix Open Manholes in Punjab: Harjot Singh Bains
Punjab Local Government Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Monday directed officials to ensure that all cities are free of open manholes by June 30
Bains said a state-wide safety audit conducted ahead of the monsoon season had identified 1,451 gaps in sewerage infrastructure.
More than 1,000 of these have already been rectified, he said, adding that the remaining open manholes must be closed immediately to prevent accidents during the rainy season.
Describing open manholes as a serious threat to public safety, especially during monsoon rains, the minister said citizen safety was non-negotiable and strict action would be taken against any lapse.
The campaign is part of the state government's Mission Clean Punjab initiative led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
To strengthen monitoring, the local government department has launched an AI-enabled mobile application for real-time tracking of manhole closures.
The officials have also been directed to conduct daily field inspections between 7 am and 8 am.
In addition, 24-hour war rooms have been set up in urban areas to monitor waterlogging, sewer blockages and other monsoon-related complaints.
Administrative Secretary, Local Government, Ghanshyam Thori, who is overseeing the campaign, said disciplinary action would be taken against officials found negligent in meeting the June 30 deadline.
He said accountability would be fixed in cases where officials fail to ensure closure of open manholes.
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