NEW DELHI: After weeks of battling devastating floods, Punjab has entered the next phase of recovery with a massive cleanliness and rehabilitation campaign spearheaded by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Starting today, the state government has rolled out a 10-day special drive across more than 2,300 villages and urban wards, aiming to restore normalcy and rebuild lives. The campaign will continue until September 23.
Municipal corporations, councils, and panchayats have been tasked with removing the silt, sludge, and debris left behind by waterlogging. The scale of the effort is unprecedented: over 1,000 sanitation workers, more than 200 tractor-trolleys, 150 JCB machines, and hundreds of health workers are on duty daily. Nodal officers have been deployed in every district to supervise progress, with municipal commissioners and Additional Deputy Commissioners directly responsible for resolving complaints.
Chief Minister Mann is personally monitoring the campaign and holding daily reviews. Stressing that the drive is not a symbolic exercise, he said it is “a mission to restore happiness and dignity in every household.”
Alongside sanitation, the Health Department is conducting medicine spraying, ensuring clean drinking water, and setting up primary medical camps in affected areas. Earlier this month, on September 5, the government issued advisories to all urban local bodies to implement strict sanitation and disease-prevention measures.
A parallel fast-track survey is assessing damage to houses, shops, roads, power lines, and water supply systems. Engineering teams have been instructed to ensure that compensation reaches affected families quickly and transparently. To ensure accountability, ‘before and after’ photographs of every restoration activity are being documented.
From early this morning, the sound of JCBs and tractor-trolleys has filled the lanes of Punjab’s flood-hit districts. Locals say they are witnessing, for the first time, such swift and visible government action reaching every corner of their villages.
By treating the floods not just as a crisis but as a test of service and resilience, the Mann government has sought to turn tragedy into an opportunity for public service. “While others play politics in disasters, we provide solutions,” Mann said, highlighting his government’s focus on ground-level action over rhetoric.
As Punjab transitions from relief to reconstruction, the campaign reflects a government intent on standing shoulder to shoulder with its people. The message is clear: the Mann government’s response to the floods is not just about damage control—it is about rebuilding trust, restoring dignity, and demonstrating that governance means action, not announcements.
