Kuldeep Singh Pathania, Chairman, Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board said here today that the Board had constituted a interdisciplinary Committees to inspect all the major river basins of Satluj, Pabbar, Beas and Ravi to ensure proper disposal of muck which can potentially cause serious damage and create havoc in the event of heavy rainfall and floods. He said that Committees were to inspect the muck generating units and other related activities besides appraising the stability and safety aspects of dumping areas and recommend action required to be initiated and to submit report within seven days.
Pathania said that these committees would inspect the dumping areas of hydro electric projects and other units responsible for generating muck in each river basin. He said that during the construction phase, management of construction debris and muck arising out of the earth work involved in the hydel projects and other units was a major environmental issue. He said that all project proponents engaged in activities, which generate muck need to adopt appropriate and well designed engineering, techniques and structures for retaining debris and should be monitored regularly for stability of dump sites and their vulnerability to stress failures due to erodability, strong water currents and earth pressure.The Chairman said that hydro power development was a major thrust area of development in the State but there was emergent need to harness this potential in a sustainable manner.