Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presided over the North Zone Inter-State Interactive Session on ‘Quality Assurance in Public Works Departments’, attended by senior officers and engineers from Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan on Saturday.
Talking to the media, Sukhu said that interactive sessions organised by the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (PWD) are focusing on future challenges and their solutions in the infrastructure sector.
“The challenges of the future and their solutions are being discussed through interactive sessions organised by the PWD,” Sukhu said.
Addressing the gathering, the CM said that the state government had initiated wide-ranging reforms in the PWD to equip it to effectively meet future challenges. He said that Himachal Pradesh has witnessed several natural disasters over the past three years, where the role of the PWD had been highly commendable.
He said that the impacts of climate change and natural disasters were already visible in Himachal Pradesh and were likely to affect other states in the future as well. He said that nearly 90% of the state’s geographical area was mountainous, making road connectivity a basic necessity.
He said that the PWD must now move towards advanced infrastructure development, including tunnel construction and high-rise buildings. “While adopting new technologies and work practices may present challenges, these must be overcome to ensure sustainable development,” he said.
Sukhu said that the reconstruction of infrastructure damaged by disasters would be one of the biggest challenges in the years ahead. At present, around 4% of the gross domestic product (GDP) was spent on disaster reconstruction, a figure that could rise to 14% by 2050. In this context, he stressed the need for embracing modern technologies and expanding the department’s capabilities.
Sukhu said that the PWD has traditionally focused most of its resources and expertise on the construction and maintenance of roads, but its role will be expanded significantly in the coming years.
The CM said the department would have to develop expertise in tunnel construction, modern infrastructure development and execution of large-scale construction projects.
He said that while the department is already proficient in building roads and bridges, the state government is also exploring ways to increase its involvement in major projects such as dam construction. “In the coming years, steps will also be taken to enhance its participation in projects such as dam construction,” Sukhu said.
He further said that the PWD should consider expanding its traditional mandate and explore opportunities in emerging sectors. In particular, he suggested that the department could play a greater role in areas such as dam construction. He indicated that the government would consider broadening the department’s mandate in the future.
The CM also released the book titled “Quality Control for Road Works” on this occasion. Public works minister Vikramaditya Singh said that capacity building and the adoption of modern technologies were the need of the hour. He said that such interactive sessions provide engineers with valuable exposure to innovative technologies and best practices. Referring to the challenges posed by global warming, he stressed the need for developing new approaches and innovative solutions across Northern India. He said that sustainable development had become an essential priority in the present times.
