Ganga desilting needs cautious approach: panel

 An expert panel has recommended the Centre a slew of measures for desiltation of the Ganga for improving hydraulic performance of the river.

A panel headed by Madhav Chitale, member of the National Ganga River Basin Authority, in its report submitted to the Ministry of Water Resources, also cautioned against the indiscriminate desilting or sand mining, warning that it would cause adverse impacts on the flow of the river.

The ministry is likely to send the report to all the states so that they can study it and deslit rivers in their respective territories.

“It is necessary to provide the river sufficient areas of flood plain and lakes to moderate the flood level. Any encroachment of flood plain, reclamation of lakes or disconnection of lakes from the river should be avoided. Adjoining lakes/depressions may be desilted to increase their storage capacities,” the report said.

“Desilting of any river reach needs to be justified, bringing out clearly the flooding caused due to siltation, along with technical comparisons of the alternative flood mitigation measures. Agricultural practices along the river flood plains should be such that they do not disturb the passage of flood by increasing the resistance to flow”, the panel stated.