Silt removal norms issued, heavy machinery placed at DC’s disposal

The Punjab Government on Friday came up with a standard operating procedure (SOP) for its scheme allowing flood-hit farmers to mine and sell silt deposited by swollen rivers in their fields across the state.

In a one-time measure, the government had permitted farmers to undertake the exercise without obtaining green nod till December 31 under its “Jisda Khet, Usdi Ret” plan.

The move is expected to help farmers recover their losses suffered due to state’s worst floods in decades. Huge swathes of land had been covered with silt as standing crops on around 4.81 lakh acres were damaged by floodwaters.

Under the guidelines issues for it, the affected farmers won’t be required to pay any royalty to the government. They will be allowed to mine and sell the silt without obtaining a permit.

The process will be supervised by district mining officers and district committees. Wherever people find it difficult to remove the silt, they can approach the officers, who in turn would arrange mining contractors to remove the deposits. Commenting on it, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the clearing of the fields to make them cultivable again was his government’s top priority.

He urged people not affected by the floods to help remove the silt well in time so that farmers could sow the next rabi crop in mid-November. “I know it is a daunting task but Punjabis have the will power and strength to overcome the challenge. Wherever the level of silt is higher, DCs can take a call on the use of excavators,” he said, adding that the machines would be placed at the disposal of the DCs.

Meanwhile, official sources said these excavators would be used only in residential areas. “In the fields, tractors fitted with disc harrows can be used. There are enough tractors with disc harrows available in the state,” an official said.

“But in select flood-affected areas, where the depth of silt deposits is more, DCs can allow the use of excavators, but very sparingly,” the official added, saying this was restricted to prevent mining of minerals from fields that could leave huge craters.

However, government officials are still waiting for the water level to recede in several districts to determine the exact quantum of sand and silt. The scheme was approved by the Punjab Cabinet on September 8. The silt deposition is high in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala districts

The norms fixed for providing assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) also provide for financial assistance for the desilting of agriculture land at Rs 18,000 per hectare and loss for change in course of river at Rs 47,000 per hectare.