UP govt starts work on revival of one small river in every district
Ropes in 3 IITs, other technical institutes to conduct studies on channelisation and course correction
3 min read
Three teenagers drowned in the western Yamuna canal in Haryana's Yamunanagar district (Representational image?File)The Uttar Pradesh government has started work on reviving one small river in each district of the state by roping in three IITs and other technical institutes for assistance and conducting studies on “channelisation, course correction, uninterrupted flow of water”, officials said.
This comes nearly a month after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had directed the district magistrates of all 75 districts to work on the plan to rejuvenate at least one river in each district. According to the plan, the government will map the rivers from the point of their origin to the point of their “final confluence”. The districts have been given the responsibility to prepare a “joint action plan” for the purpose.
A divisional-level monitoring committee, headed by the respective divisional commissioner, has been constituted to oversee the implementation and quality of the work.
The revival effort is receiving technical expertise from premier institutes such as IIT Kanpur, IIT BHU, IIT Roorkee, and BBAU Lucknow, which are preparing river-specific plans based on detailed studies of geographical, ecological, and social factors, the statement said.
The campaign, originally initiated in 2018 under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, has now evolved into a more structured and technologically empowered mission.
Activities under the programme include stream-cleaning, water channelling, rainwater harvesting, and extensive plantation drives.
To ensure smooth implementation, the government has brought together 10 departments: Irrigation, Minor Irrigation, Panchayati Raj, Forest, Horticulture and Food Processing, Fisheries, Urban Development, Uttar Pradesh State Water Resources Agency, Rural Development, and Revenue, it said.
These departments are working in synergy at the district level to execute the rejuvenation efforts.
District Ganga committees have also been tasked with monitoring the river systems locally and encouraging community participation, ensuring that the revival process remains continuous, inclusive, and deeply rooted in public engagement.
The districts have also been asked to undertake extensive tree plantation along the riverbanks as part of the campaign.
The officials said that under the plan, while every district will prepare a detailed plan for cleaning the stretch of the concerned river under their jurisdiction, they will also explore ways to restore the water flow, conserve associated water sources like ponds, check dams etc.
As part of the initiative, work has already started on revival of the Budhi Rapti river in Shravasti, estimated to be about 67-km-long. Sources said the river alignments are being mapped using remote sensing technology. Another river on which the work has started is the Manorama which originates in Gonda and merges into the Kuwano in Basti District.
—With PTI inputs
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