Shimla, Aug 23 (PTI) The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to immediately stop the operations of all stone crushers on both perennial and non-perennial rivulets of the Beas river basin and its tributaries, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Wednesday.

The decision has been taken after considering the alarming transformation of the ecosystem during the current monsoon which saw excessive heavy rainfall and landslides, wreaking havoc downstream in the Beas river basin and its tributaries in Kullu, Mandi Kangra and Hamirpur districts besides Chakki rivulet in district Kangra, an official statement issued here said.

Also Read | After the Successful Landing of Chandrayaan-3 on Moon, ISRO to Launch of Sun Mission 'Aditya L-1', Says PM Narendra Modi.

It said the decision will ensure the safety of human settlements and infrastructure and to preserve the fragile ecology and environment of the state.

However, the lease of legal mining has not been cancelled.

Also Read | Chandrayaan-3 Mission Moon Success: They've Made Entire Nation Proud, Says CJI DY Chandrachud.

Sukhu said directions had been given to the Department of Environment, Science and Technology and Climate Change to convene a high-level consultation meet inviting experts from IITs, NITs, RandD Institutions and universities to identify the factors which led to such a disastrous situation in the state.

He said the department will also conduct a comprehensive scientific study by constituting a multi-sectoral expert committee to evaluate the cumulative impact of unscientific and illegal mining activities.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)