Punjab Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Monday directed officials to make sure all cities are free of open manholes by June 30, as the state steps up safety measures ahead of monsoon. He warned that negligence in the “zero open manhole” campaign under Mission Clean Punjab would not be tolerated.
Bains said a state-wide safety audit before the monsoon had found 1,451 gaps in sewerage infrastructure. More than 1,000 of these have already been fixed, he said, and directed that the remaining open manholes be closed immediately to prevent accidents during the rainy season.
The minister sought compliance reports from all municipal commissioners and additional deputy commissioners (urban development). Describing open manholes as a serious threat to public safety, especially during monsoon rain, he said citizen safety was non-negotiable and strict action would be taken in case of 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.
Officials have also been directed to carry out daily field inspections between 7 am and 8 am. In urban areas, 24-hour war rooms have been set up to monitor waterlogging, sewer blockages and other monsoon-related complaints.
Administrative Secretary 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 where officials fail to ensure the closure of open manholes. Overall, the state government has set a June 30 target to remove open manholes across cities, with monitoring and action planned to ensure compliance.
– Ends
(with inputs from PTI)
Published By:
India Today Web Desk
Published On:
Jun 22, 2026 19:37 IST
