Revenue Minister E. Chandrasekharan has stressed on the role of district-level expert panels in protecting rivers and riverbanks. The efforts of such committees must be based on the fundamental objective of reining in sand mining, he said.
Inaugurating a regional workshop organised by the Institute of Land and Disaster Management at PTP Nagar, Mr. Chandrasekharan held the view that the prime responsibility of the district-level committee included protecting the ecological system which included water-bodies and not merely issuing approvals for sand mining.
He added that efforts must be made to identity available construction materials that could be utilised for the construction sector in a manner that prevented excessive sand mining. The unscientific construction of embankments must be prevented at all costs. Priority must be ensured for river protection using geo-textiles.
Three regional workshops have been planned in the State with the present one organised for officials of four districts. Suggestions that are put forth for river protection at these workshops will be discussed by a State-level committee for possible implementation.
Additional Chief Secretary P.H. Kurian and Land Revenue Commissioner A.T. James were among those who were present on the occasion.
