Shimla, July 7 (IANS) Taking cognisance of forest wood and logs that accumulated in the Pandoh dam after last week’s cloudbursts, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu has handed over the investigations to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The logs were sighted in huge quantities floating in the Pandoh Dam in the Mandi district, that got accumulated after being swept down from the hills due to the cloudburst and flash floods.

A spokesperson for the state government on Monday said the government has taken cognisance of the matter and would bring to light the possible reasons behind the accumulation of wood in such a large quantity.

The government, under the direction of the Chief Minister, has now decided to conduct the CID inquiry into the matter.

“The first and foremost reaction to the incidents of cloudbursts and floods was to save the lives of people and provide immediate relief to them, wherein effective measures were underway to bring back normalcy in the flood-hit regions,” said the spokesperson.

Videos and photographs of wood flushing down the river and found floating in the dam went viral on media platforms, raising public concern and prompting calls for investigation.

He said that while the government and the administration were busy helping people, the BJP made a hue and cry regarding the forest wood.

“The BJP leaders were making irresponsible statements at the time of disaster, which highlights that the opposition is highly ignorant and selective when it comes to such matters, as the issues of illegal felling of trees were never inquired into, and no accountability was set during their tenure,” said the spokesperson.

The spokesperson added that the state government has set a goal to make Himachal Pradesh a ‘Green Energy State’ by March 31, 2026, and any obstacle or act which stops the government from achieving its target would be dealt with under the rule of the law.

–IANS

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