Govt to evolve River Sediment Management Policy soon

Speed Post News Network

New Delhi : The government will soon evolve a River Sediment management policy. This was announced by Narendra Kumar, Chairman, Central Water Commission, while inaugurating a national seminar on sediment management in Indian rivers in New Delhi on March 17, 2017.

Kumar said many committees have been constituted in the past to look into the silting problems in rivers of India and suggest suitable remedial measures. He expressed the hope that the conference will be a step ahead in this direction and extensive consultations among varied stakeholders will result in evolving a comprehensive policy. He said it is essential to devise a methodology for sediment management which is environment friendly and feasible technically as well as economically, according to a PIB release. Kumar said over the years silting of rivers has assumed serious proportions.

He said as of now there is general feeling that flood prone rivers are aggrading and undergoing change in carrying capacity leading to rise in flood level. Kumar said common practices carried out by river management agencies demonstrate that sediment management till late has been based on limited scientific knowledge. He was of the opinion that a different approach to sediment management is desirable incorporating knowledge and management of sediments, said the PIB release .

Sanjay Kundu, Joint Secretary (PP) in the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation, in his welcome speech referred to the address of PM Narendra Modi at the inter-state council meeting where he underlined the need for a river sediment management policy in the country.