Illegal mining behind Punjab floods: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

NEW DELHI: A day after visiting flood-affected areas of Punjab, the Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday underlined how illegal mining on riverbeds and floodplains over the years has weakened the embankments (bunds) along the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi, and Ghaggar rivers, causing waters to enter the villages, and said he would submit a “detailed report” on the damage suffered by the state to Prime Minister Narendra Modi."It is necessary to strengthen those structures (bunds) so that Punjab can be saved from such tragedies in future," Chouhan posted his remarks on X while referring to the ground situation which he could analyse during his visit.He said, "We need to work in a planned manner for the reconstruction of the flood-affected areas. We'll have to prepare short-term, medium-term, and long-term plans to bring Punjab out of this crisis."The issue of illegal mining, raised by Chouhan, has long been flagged by environmentalists, noting how unregulated and unlawful extraction of sand, gravel and stone from riverbeds and floodplains could lead to man-made disaster during extreme weather events. Unregulated sand mining has always been cited as a trigger for floods as it leads to riverbank erosion and change of the river's natural course, causing devastating floods downstream. Chouhan in his post on X referred to earlier efforts to strengthen the embankments when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister and Prakash Singh Badal was the Punjab's chief minister. "But due to illegal mining, they have weakened, and water has entered the villages," he saidNoting the devastation that led to destroying standing crops across all districts of Punjab, Chouhan said, "The crisis is big. The central government will leave no stone unturned to overcome this crisis. At the same time, the state government will also have to work with full seriousness at the ground level."Speaking about the post-flood situation, he said, "When the water recedes, there will be a risk of spreading diseases. Dead animals will have to be disposed of safely so that diseases do not spread. Silt has accumulated in the fields, and a plan will have to be made to remove it so that the next crop is not affected."