Now Reading: Punjab’s river desilting plan faces Centre’s green hurdle
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Punjab’s river desilting plan faces Centre’s green hurdle
Punjab’s plan to desilt and remove excess material from Beas and Ravi riverbeds across four districts has hit a roadblock. The Union environment ministry (MoEFCC) has asked the state to ensure the…
The Story in Brief
Punjab’s plan to desilt and remove excess material from Beas and Ravi riverbeds across four districts has hit a roadblock. The Union environment ministry (MoEFCC) has asked the state to ensure the work does not turn into commercial extraction of minor minerals without prior environmental clearance. The projects cover 113.2 hectares in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala, and were proposed to improve flood management and restore eroded land.
A month after Punjab’s wildlife board cleared seven proposals on July 7, MoEFCC sought clarity on the exact location, proximity to protected areas, and whether the excavated material would have commercial value. Some sites, such as one in Sultanpur Lodhi, Kapurthala, fall within the Beas Conservation Reserve, a Ramsar site. The ministry has also asked for safeguards for the Indus river dolphin and gharial.
The Indian Opinion
The usual Punjab-versus-Centre narrative is tempting, but the real question is whether these desilting projects are genuine flood relief or a backdoor to sand mining. The Beas Conservation Reserve’s Ramsar status leaves no room for shortcuts. Watch how many of the seven proposals ultimately get cleared with a no-commercial-use tag, that number will settle the debate on intent.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
