Proposal ready to clean, deepen rivers: Cheema

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has said that a proposal had been prepared to clean, deepen and widen the Ravi and the Sutlej.

Permission has also been sought from the Union Government for the cleaning of the Beas, the Finance Minister said. “Desilting the rivers is crucial to safeguard the state. While the Ravi and the Sutlej fall within the state’s jurisdiction, the Beas is a Ramsar site, requiring the Centre’s approval,” the minister told reporters at Dirba.

“As many as 28 critical locations along the Beas have been identified for immediate cleaning,” Cheema added.

The Finance Minister also urged the Union Government to extend maximum support, stressing that cleaning all three rivers would help the state avoid flood damage in the future.