Panel to study cause of Uttarakhand floods

The government has set up a committee to study the possible causes of the flash floods and landslides in Uttarakhand and suggest remedial measures, an official said Wednesday.

The committee constituted by the ministry of water resources will have members from the Ganga Flood Control Commission, Central Water Commission and India Meteorological Department.

"It was felt that there is an immediate need to understand the possible causes thereof and to take measures in the light of lessons learnt," said the official said.

The committee has been asked to finalise its recommendations in three weeks after visiting the affected sites.

"The committee will study various issues including the river bank erosion, the river draining systems, effect of sedimentation downstream and the effectiveness of flood warning systems," the official said.