NGT halts desilting work across Punjab rivers, seeks replies over environmental clearances
PTC Web Desk: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has put an interim halt on desilting operations in several rivers and seasonal drains across Punjab, including in Ropar district, raising key concerns over environmental clearances and the commercial sale of extracted material.
As per a report published in the columns of The Tribune, the order was passed on February 17 while hearing a petition filed by Daljit Singh against the State of Punjab and other authorities.
The petitioner challenged an auction notice issued on October 17, 2025, by the drainage division of the Punjab Water Resources Department. The notice covered proposed desilting sites in multiple districts, including SAS Nagar, Patiala, Mansa, Ropar, Ludhiana, Anandpur Sahib and SBS Nagar.
According to the plea, the proposed desilting exercise goes beyond routine flood-control or watercourse maintenance. It alleged that the activity was being undertaken with a commercial objective, as the silt and sand extracted from riverbeds and drains were to be sold in the open market.
The petitioner argued that since the activity involves extraction of minor minerals for commercial gain, it cannot proceed without prior environmental clearance under the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. During arguments, counsel for the petitioner contended that the scale of excavation and the planned auction clearly indicated revenue generation as a primary objective rather than limited ecological maintenance.
Concerns were also raised about the possible downstream impact of large-scale silt removal, including soil erosion and damage to agricultural land.
In its order, the NGT noted that a similar issue is already pending before it in a separate matter titled Gram Panchayat Galheri versus Union of India and others, also related to desilting operations in Punjab. In that case, it had been recorded that the Punjab Water Resources Department had identified 85 desilting sites across the state, of which 36 were being auctioned. The material extracted from these locations was proposed to be sold as minor minerals, potentially creating an additional legal source of sand in the market.
Taking note of these submissions, the bench comprising NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Expert Member Dr Afroz Ahmad observed that the present application raises substantial questions regarding compliance with environmental laws. Notices have been issued to all respondents, seeking their replies.
As an interim measure, and in view of similarities with the pending matter, the tribunal directed that while the tendering process may continue, no actual desilting work shall commence without prior permission of the tribunal. This effectively means that no physical removal of silt or sand from rivers or drains can take place until further orders.
The case has been listed for the next hearing on May 14, 2026.
- With inputs from agencies
