The licences of industrial projects that contributed to the June catastrophe in Uttarakhand must be suspended, water experts demanded here.
Flash floods and landslides following a cloudburst devastated the state and claimed thousands of lives.
"There are six-seven industrial projects in Uttarakhand which were responsible for dumping tonnes of muck in the Uttarakhand rivers. Their licences to operate in the state must be suspended," said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator, South Asia Network on Dams, Rivers and People.
He was speaking at a lecture "Uttarakhand Tragedy: Man Made or Natural", organised at the India International Centre here Tuesday.
The industries have not complied with the environmental rules laid down by the ministry of environment and forests, he added.
Thakkar said: "The buildings were not only submerged under water but also under a lot of muck, dumped irresponsibly by industries in the region."
Professor Chandra Shekhar Dubey, who teaches at Delhi University, talked about the unbridled industrialisation in the hill state.
Experts lamented the "unpreparedness" of government agencies in dealing with the disaster.
