Committee advises against encroachment of Ganga flood plains

A committee formed by the Centre on framing guidelines to desilt the Ganga has recommended to provide the river sufficient area of flood plain to moderate the flood level.
The panel has also advised against encroachment on the flood plain area, reclamation of lakes or disconnection of basin area lakes from the river.
The panel, headed by National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) expert member Madhav Chitale, was constituted in July last year.
"It is necessary to provide the river sufficient area of flood plain and lakes along the river to moderate the flood level," the committee has said in its report, according to a water resources ministry statement.

"Any encroachment of flood plain, reclamation of lakes or disconnection of lakes from the river should be avoided; rather adjoining lakes/depressions may be desilted to increase their storage capacities," the statement said.
It also suggested that the desilting of the water body should be carried out in a manner that the sediment continuity is maintained and it does not create safety issues for the river crossings, water intakes or river training works locally, downstream or upstream.