CM meets Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav

SHIMLA 8 September, 2026

· Urges clear guidelines for scientific dredging in flood-affected river areas of Himachal Pradesh

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today met Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav in New Delhi and discussed various important issues related to scientific dredging in flood-affected river areas of Himachal Pradesh.

The Chief Minister said that excessive rainfall, floods and flash floods lead to the accumulation of large quantities of debris, boulders, stones and sand in river channels, adversely affecting their water-carrying capacity and increasing the risk of flooding to human settlements, roads, bridges, forests and other critical infrastructure. He said that the scientific and time-bound dredging in such vulnerable areas is essential from the perspective of disaster risk reduction.

He urged the Union Minister to issue clear and enabling guidelines based on the decisions and recommendations of the Forest Advisory Committee, so that proposals related to dredging could be processed and disposed of in a time-bound manner.

The Chief Minister also urged the Ministry to create a separate category for river dredging on the PARIVESH portal and keep such activities distinct from conventional mining activities. He said that the objective of removing debris from river channels after floods is to restore the water-carrying capacity of rivers, remove obstructions to river flow and protect human lives and public infrastructure.

The Chief Minister further requested exemption of river dredging projects from the requirement of compensatory afforestation. He said that such activities do not involve diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes and that scientific dredging is undertaken primarily to facilitate the smooth flow of rivers and reduce flood risks.

Sh. Sukhu said that the quantity of material deposited in rivers following floods is often substantial. Therefore, a clear mechanism is required for the safe, regulated and appropriate utilization and disposal of material extracted through dredging.

Samagra Sikhsha