Revenue takes up desilting Pamba river as KCCPL backs out

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The revenue department has undertaken the task of desilting the Pamba river after the Kerala Clays and Ceramic Products Ltd (KCCPL), that had undertaken the task, stopped the work.
District collector of Pathanamthitta, P B Nooh said that since the district collector is empowered under the Disaster Management Act to undertake the work of removing the silt, the work has been initiated."Under section 34 (d) of the act, the district collector is well within the authority to undertake the job. So we are going ahead with the job. We expect the task to be completed in another 15 days and have already pressed 30 trucks for removing the silt at present," Nooh said.
As per the section 34 (d) of the Disaster Management Act - 2005, for the purpose of assisting, protecting or providing relief to the community, in response to any threatening disaster situation or disaster, the district authority may remove debris, conduct search and carry out rescue operations. It is reliably learnt that the KCCPL had discontinued the task after it was told that the sand removed will not be allotted to them.
The silt that is being removed, will be held at a secure location of the forest department, and the government will take a call on the matter regarding its disposal, later, sources said. The sand that has already been removed from Pamba after the floods of 2018, is yet to be sold on auction.
Meanwhile, the national green tribunal (NGT) has ordered an inquiry into the issue, considering the seriousness of the matter, and submit a factual and action taken report on whether there is any violation found including the imposition of environmental compensation.
The NGT also ordered the formation of a joint committee comprising of a senior officer of regional office, ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF and CC), Bengaluru, a senior officer not below the rank of chief conservator of forest deputed by the principal chief conservator of forest and head of forest force, the chief wildlife warden, district collector of Pathanamthitta, a senior officer from the department of mining and geology, member secretary of state disaster management authority, Kerala and the divisional forest officer of Pathanamthitta for the purpose.