Hyderabad: Irrigation works go on as usual

Hyderabad: Though the State has been locked down due to spread of coronavirus the works of the Irrigation projects are continuing as usual to keep them going on without interruption.

Officials of the department said that works are carried out wherever contractors have grounded them in view of the orders being given by the chief minister. They said that precautions are being taken to prevent spread of virus in the sites.

A senior official said that works are carried out as specific instructions have been given by the government to the police that the labour of the Irrigation works should not be stopped.

The official said that at hundreds of sites thousands of labour have been working to complete the irrigation projects. He said that at various places regulation of flow of water is taken up to provide water to the fields for the Rabi season.

On the other hand the Irrigation department has issues specific instructions to the engineers who are overseeing the works. The head of offices of the department were also instructed to take certain precautions to carry out the works.

The engineers have been told to prepare the list of the employees and the labour in their respective sites and submit it to the local authorities. Any changes in list should also be informed promptly.

Works should be arranged in a manner that there should be no contact between the labour. Required number of sanitisers and soaps should be provided at the sites so that the labourers wash their hands as frequently as possible.

The labour camps should be provided with hygienic amenities as per the orders being issued by the government. The project camps should be quarantined from outside.

Medical tests should be held for the labour and the employees and if anyone is found with symptoms of coronavirus they should be sent to quarantine facilities and they should be paid the wages regularly.

The incharges of the camps should issue identity cards to the staff and labour working at the irrigation project sites. Gloves, masks and shoes should be supplied to the labour.

Essential commodities should be made available at the camps in adequate quantities at the camp sites.

All the chief engineers of the projects have been instructed to send reports every day.

The heads of the offices of the Irrigation department have been told not to allow any visitors to the offices. Sanitisers should be placed at the doors of the office buildings. Passes to the visitors should not be given for visiting the officials.

The officers are told to avoid non official tours, documents should be emailed, recreation centres and crèches should be closed, work places should be frequently sanitised, officials should take care of their health and if anyone is ill they should leave the work places immediately.