Context:
The Uttar Pradesh government has launched a project to rejuvenate one small river in every district across the state.
More on News:
- To support this initiative, three IITs and other technical institutes have been engaged to carry out studies focused on channelisation, course correction, and maintaining the continuous flow of water.
- This initiative follows the Chief Minister’s directive, instructing district magistrates in all 75 districts to begin efforts to rejuvenate at least one river in each district.
- The government will map each river from its source to its “final confluence” as per the plan.
- District authorities have been tasked with formulating a “joint action plan” to implement the project.
- A monitoring committee has been formed at the divisional level, led by the respective divisional commissioner, to supervise the implementation and ensure the quality of the work.
- The revival initiative is being supported by technical expertise from leading institutions like IIT Kanpur, IIT BHU, IIT Roorkee, and BBAU Lucknow.
- These institutes are developing river-specific plans based on comprehensive studies of geographical, ecological, and social aspects.
- 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.
- The programme includes activities such as stream cleaning, water channeling, rainwater harvesting, and large-scale plantation drives.
- To facilitate effective implementation, the government has coordinated efforts across 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.
- These departments are collaborating closely at the district level to carry out the river rejuvenation efforts.
- District Ganga committees have been assigned the responsibility of monitoring local river systems and promoting community involvement, ensuring the revival process remains continuous, inclusive, and deeply connected to public participation.
- Districts have been instructed to undertake extensive tree plantation drives along the riverbanks as part of the campaign.
- Each district will develop a detailed plan to clean the section of the river within their jurisdiction, while also exploring ways to restore water flow and conserve related water bodies such as ponds and check dams.
- As part of this initiative, work has already begun on reviving the Budhi Rapti river in Shravasti, which is approximately 67 kilometers long.
- River alignments are being mapped using remote sensing technology.
- Another river where restoration efforts have started is the Manorama, which originates in Gonda and flows into the Kuwano in Basti district.
