Illegal mining behind Punjab floods: Shivraj

NEW DELHI: A day after visiting flood-affected areas of Punjab, 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, reports Vishwa Mohan."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.