Congress member Dhanendra Sahu raised the issue of accumulation of silt at an Anicut over Mahanadi river in the Chhattisgarh assembly on Monday.
He also expressed his suspicion over the threat that it could cause flood in the Rajim Town.
Sahu during the question hour raised the issue of accumulation of silt in the upper and lower part of the Anicut in the rivers of Mahanadi and Pairi.
This poses threat of flood in the river and could submerge the Rajim and Gobra-Nawapara towns, he said.
Other Opposition members also opined that the filling of excavated soil and Murum in the river to organise Rajim Kumbh Kalp was also affecting the normal flow of the rivers. Area of almost one kilometer radius is filled because of those fillings, they alleged.
Water Resources Minister Brijmohan Agrawal denied the allegations and said the accumulation of silt was only because of the natural flow of rivers and not because of fillings in Kumbh every year.
Murum is a filter material and silt does not get accumulated because of that, he said. Most of the Murum filled is taken away by people later on and it would not be true to say that it is increasing the silt level, he added.
“Even after that, I am agreed to the concern of Opposition members and will definitely instruct the concerned official and would also be physically present during the removal of silt in presence of local legislators of Rajim and Abhanpur, the Minister said.