UP Launches River Revival Scheme to Rejuvenate 50 Rivers, Restore Ecology
The Uttar Pradesh administration has embarked on an ambitious initiative to breathe new life into the state’s forgotten, contaminated, and intermittent rivers. This endeavor is unfolding in collaboration with the Namami Gange Mission, Jal Jeevan Mission, and the Forest Department. The overarching goal is to reinstate the natural vibrancy of these rivers, ensuring free-flowing water, capturing and protecting catchment areas, and maintaining pollution-free streams and healthy groundwater levels while preserving the surrounding ecology and biodiversity.
The 2019 initiative blueprint focused on conserving the smaller rivers and tributaries interwoven across the state. A multi-departmental collaboration is at play, engaging environment, water, agriculture, forest, and panchayati raj authorities to sustain this endeavor. Rivers that have either dried up or face threats from pollution and encroachment across all 75 districts have been identified for revival.
The government is actively pursuing sustainable and scientific solutions to rejuvenate these waterways. To combat pollution, they now treat sewage and industrial waste before it contacts river systems. Urban sewage is being rerouted to Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), and biological methods are being introduced to improve water quality further.
Rehabilitation efforts include building check dams, desilting riverbeds, strengthening riverbanks, and employing rainwater harvesting techniques to ensure consistent river flow. These initiatives are starting to deliver promising results, with 50 rivers rejuvenated over a span of 3,363 kilometers, revitalizing rural landscapes and improving irrigation access for agriculture.
Complementary actions include the revival of minor rivers and water bodies in 1,011 Ganga gram panchayats. This broader strategy aims to enhance rural water storage through the creation and reinforcement of 3,388 ponds, which now serve as essential water resources for farming, livestock, and household needs.
Ecological restoration efforts are further amplified by massive tree-planting campaigns led by the Forest Department in dedicated partnership with district Ganga committees. Over 21.4 million trees have been planted along the banks of 82 rivers, contributing significantly to ecological restoration and flood management.
Technology is at the heart of this revival campaign. Technical expertise from prestigious institutions, including IIT Kanpur, IIT BHU, BBAAU Lucknow, and IIT Roorkee, ensures the scheme’s success, paving the way for informed and scientifically backed methodologies.
Progress monitoring is a structured process, with committees established in each administrative division and led by the respective divisional commissioner. Regular reviews ensure that revival plans are executed timely and to high standards.
Rivers such as the Noon River in Kanpur, Kukrail River in Lucknow, Tilodki River in Ayodhya, Pili River in Jaunpur, and Belan River in Sonbhadra are among those currently undergoing transformation under the state’s relentless efforts.
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