Minister NS Boseraju instructs stringent measures against unscientific silt removal in lakes
Bengaluru, Jan 11: Karnataka Minister N S Boseraju on Thursday raised concerns over "unscientific removal" of silt in lakes under the jurisdiction of the state's minor irrigation department and directed officials to immediately take stringent action to put an end to it.
The Minister for Minor Irrigation, and Science and Technology said this "indiscriminate" silt-lifting is contributing to lake suffocation, water scarcity, and financial losses to the government.
Highlighting the detrimental effects of "unscientific" silt removal, he said: "The improper extraction of silt, exceeding specified limits in some cases, not only results in financial losses to the government but also contributes to water depletion in lakes, leading to severe water shortages,".
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Boseraju also emphasised its adverse impact on groundwater levels.
The Minister instructed the Secretary of the department to issue strict directives to Superintending Engineers of all Circles and Executive Engineers of all Divisions.
"These directives aim to prompt strict legal action against any activities involving the unscientific lifting of silt, with the goal of safeguarding the state's water resources and preventing further environmental damage," he added.
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UP: Misled by GPS navigation, car falls into river from partially constructed bridge, 3 dead
Bareilly (UP), Nov 24: Three people died when their car fell into the Ramganga river from a partially constructed bridge here on Sunday, police said, adding that they suspect the driver was misled by its navigation system into taking the unsafe route.
The accident occurred around 10 am on the Khalpur-Dataganj road when the victims were travelling from Bareilly to Dataganj in the Badaun district, they said.
"Earlier this year, floods had caused the front portion of the bridge to collapse into the river, but this change had not been updated in the system," Circle Officer Ashutosh Shivam said.
The driver was using a navigation system and did not realise that the bridge was unsafe, driving the car off the damaged section, the police said.
There were no safety barriers or warning signs on the approach to the damaged bridge, leading to the fatal accident, Shivam said.
Upon receiving information, police teams from Faridpur, Bareilly and Dataganj police station rushed to the spot. They recovered the vehicle and the bodies from the river, Shivam added.
The circle officer said that bodies had been sent for post-mortem. Further investigation into the matter is underway.
— Bareilly Police (@bareillypolice) November 24, 2024
