The Water Resources Department can de-silt rivers and dams to maintain the flow of water and avert natural disasters, suggested the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).
The Water Resources Department had sought a general view on the issue of sand mining and de-silting.
The SEIAA would likely issue a general advisory on both de-silting and sand mining, said sources privy to the 104th meeting of the authority that was held on Monday.
The meeting of the authority also noted that environment clearance was not required for de-silting rivers and dams to clear the course of the rivers.
De-silting could be done on the flanks of the rivers and at strategic locations. While removing the silt, the guidelines set by the Central Electricity Authority for the management of silt in dams would have to be followed, the meeting noted.
However, when it came to removal of sand from the rivers, elaborate and mandatory procedures would have to be followed and environment clearance obtained from the SEIAA, the meeting concluded.
Incidentally, an attempt of the authorities to remove sand from the Pamba river had developed into a controversy in the State with the Forest Department opposing the move saying environment clearance was required for removing the sand from the forest area.
The SEIAA noted that sand mining and monitoring guidelines set by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change would have to be followed for the process. The guidelines, which was issued in 2016, was revised this year. While applying for the clearance, sand auditing for the river and the sand ghats, a pre-feasibility report, and a district survey report would have to be drawn up. The application for environment clearance could be submitted only with these documents, the meeting noted.
While mining sand, which could be carried out during the lean season of the rivers, sand could be removed only to a depth of a metre from the water level. Deeper mining, which could go to a maximum depth of three metres, would be permitted in specific cases where there were larger deposits of sand as indicated in the sand audit report, the meeting pointed out.