LUCKNOW: The Government of Uttar Pradesh is making efforts to revive 17 rivers whose existence is under threat. This decision was taken by the state government after successful revival of the flow and course of two rivers – Tamsa in Ayodhya and Mandakini in Chitrakoot.
The total length of the rivers which will be revived by the efforts of the state government is around 3,900 kilometre (km). These rivers flow through atleast 35 districts in the state. Most of these rivers like Tedhi in Balraich and Gonda, SasurKhaderi in Fatehpur, are relatively not well known. According to an official of the Forest Department, encroachments on river banks, reduced ecological flow, siltation and pollution are the main reasons for the rivers to almost go extinct. The official further stated that officials of the Forest Department and of the respective districts are carrying out plantation drives on the banks of the rivers in a bid to help in their revival. Atleast22 lakh trees have so far been planted in the catchment areas of the rivers. In addition to this, to improve the flow of the rivers, adjoining nullas and ponds have also been revived. “More than 900 ponds and 500 nullahs have been restored in over three dozen districts through which these rivers flow,” an official said. The effort has also generated over 25 lakh man days as the government is getting the work executed under MGNREGA.
The ecological flow of said river has been restored in atleast 1,041 km of the total 3,900 km.