Punjab Newsline | Ludhiana
Punjab Local Government Minister Harjot Singh Bains on Thursday said the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation has established a 'Monsoon War Room', a technology-enabled control centre designed to ensure swift action and minimise public inconvenience during the monsoon season.
While inspecting the facility at the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) in MC Zone D, Sarabha Nagar, the minister said the war room operates round-the-clock and monitors the city through 1,700 CCTV cameras. The system streams live HD footage from flood-prone intersections, low-lying colonies and vulnerable drainage points, enabling officials to detect waterlogging within seconds.
Bains said the advanced monitoring system maps the spread of flooding in real time, allowing emergency teams to be dispatched to precise locations and significantly reducing response times from hours to minutes.
The minister also announced that a dedicated monsoon helpline will soon be launched, enabling residents to report waterlogging, blocked drains and overflowing nullahs. Every complaint will be logged instantly at the war room, geo-tagged on the city map, assigned to the nearest field team and tracked until it is resolved.
"Our aim is to address civic issues at the earliest while ensuring citizens can see the response in real time," Bains said.
During a review meeting with Municipal Corporation officials, the minister outlined a comprehensive action plan to prevent monsoon-related civic problems. He directed officials to ensure round-the-clock monitoring, complete desilting of Buddha Dariya and major sewer lines, cover all open manholes to prevent accidents, clean roadside gullies and undertake urgent repairs of damaged roads.
Highlighting the Punjab Government's commitment to civic services, Bains said, "Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, we are leaving no stone unturned. 'Mission Clean Punjab' is an operational order, not a slogan."
He warned that any negligence in desilting operations or emergency response would invite strict disciplinary action, adding that lapses in duty would not be tolerated.
The review meeting was attended by Mayor Principal Inderjit Kaur, Municipal Commissioner Ojasvi Alankar, Senior Deputy Mayor Rakesh Prashar, Deputy Mayor Prince Johar, Joint Commissioner Tapan Bhanot and Assistant Commissioner Jasdev Sekhon.
Municipal Commissioner Ojasvi Alankar informed the minister that the command centre is fully operational and that Municipal Corporation teams remain on high alert to tackle any monsoon-related emergencies.
