Nine rivers revived in Rampur through govt, community efforts
Govt and community efforts to revive Nahal, Hatiyari, Sajni, Neeli, Aril, Naiya, Revati, Baigul and Chaugaja rivers not only benefitted farmers across more than 100 gram panchayats but also transformed the rural landscape.
A govt spokesperson said blocks like Bilaspur, Chamraua, Milak, Saidnagar, Shahabad and Swar became green and groundwater levels started rising again.
"The mission owes its success to the combined efforts of the State Mission for Clean Ganga, Namami Gange and the rural water supply department, whose coordinated work executed on a war footing is breathing life back into dried-up rivers," the official said.
He pointed out that the revival of the Nahal river is a historic achievement.
The river stretches 75 km and passes through 43 gram panchayats in the Milak, Chamraua, and Saidnagar blocks. The river was dry for nearly 60 years. Under the current project, the river started flowing again, and the project generated 1.5 lakh man-days under MGNREGA, employing more than 2,500 families.
Chief development officer Nand Kishore Kalaal said the subsurface dam technology, commonly used in southern parts of India, was deployed for the first time in Rampur to revive the Sainani river.
Meanwhile, work on the 14-km long Naiya Nadi generated 42,648 man-days and provided employment to 465 families. The river flows through villages like Hasanpur North, Ladpur Semra, Khushalpur and others.
The Aril River rejuvenation created 4,260 man-days of work. It passes through Nadarganj, Khanjipura and four other gram panchayats.
Revival of the 12 km long Neeli Nadi resulted in 36,000 man-days of work and jobs for 620 families while the work on the 12 km long Revati River benefitted seven gram panchayats, created 27,000 man-days of work, and provided employment to 545 families.
"The river rejuvenation campaign in Rampur not only boosted groundwater levels and irrigation facilities but also created sustainable employment opportunities. It is a shining example of environmental restoration along with economic empowerment in rural UP," the official said.
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Indian Express
a day ago
- Indian Express
From drone mapping to removing water hyacinth, how a river was brought back to life in Uttar Pradesh
Till early February, there was no visible sign of the Noon river that once meandered through Kanpur district's Rampur Narua village. Locals say an infestation of the jal kumbhi (water hyacinth), which affects water flow and aquatic life, had rendered the thriving river indistinguishable from the fields it once snaked through. At Rampur Narua, its origin point, today, the river flows nearly six feet wide — the result of a state-wide river rejuvenation programme as part of which every district in the state has been tasked with reviving at least one river in their jurisdiction. In Kanpur, the district administration decided to revive the Noon, one of the district's four forgotten rivers, since it had been blocked due to the jal kumbhi and construction debris, and had not dried up like the others. River rejuvenation efforts in the state — which started nearly two years ago — gathered pace since the Saryu Mahotsav in Ayodhya was inaugurated on June 5 by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who gave a target of 'one district, one river'. Across Uttar Pradesh, its 75 districts have been racing against time to achieve this target — from digging through over 40-year-old satellite images and revenue records; using drone surveys; to seeking technical expertise from the Remote Sensing Application Centre under the state's Science and Technology Department, Lucknow's Baba Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), IITs Kanpur and BHU, the National Institute of Hydrology in Roorkee and the Clean Ganga Project. Standing next to the gushing Noon, Rampur Narua gram panchayat secretary Anjali Pandey said, 'Work on reviving the river began on February 22 onwards. It is finished now.' The 48.5-km Noon spans 34 gram panchayats, originating from Rampur Narua's Kanhaiya lake and culminating into the Ganga near Bithoor. Besides old satellite images, the Noon was also mapped with the help of drones and remote surveys, which revealed the river had become too narrow in places or had dry patches. Officials said they had to work on almost half of the river's natural path, measuring around 24 km. 'Bahut mushkil hui thi convince karne mein (convincing the villagers to help with the river's revival was tough),' said Pandey, who roped in local women to convince the other villagers to participate in the exercise, either through shramdaan (volunteer work) or under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Beside the flowing river, a bright yellow plaque — with a blue border and MGNREGA project details, and three red steps — is the only sign of the herculean task undertaken from February 22 onwards. Sources said divisional-level committees, comprising technical experts and divisional officials from nearly 10 departments, including forest, agriculture, irrigation, horticulture, fisheries, etc., started being formed in the state in 2024. In case of rivers flowing through two or more districts, a joint action plan was prepared. Encroachment and dumping of waste in these water bodies was found to be the biggest hurdle. A surprising revelation in many cases was the fact that decades-old nallahs (drains) were, in fact, once thriving nadis (rivers). The Noon had mostly dried up due to a jal kumbhi infestation. 'In other places, huge boulders were blocking the river's flow,' say officials. Ramesh Kumar, 55, a farmer who owns a 2.5-bigha field next to the Noon adds, 'The infestation dried up years ago, blocking the flow of water. During the monsoon, the water would overflow into all nearby fields. The receding flood water would leave silt behind, rendering the fields useless for nearly four months annually from June onwards,' However, reviving the Noon was easier said than done, said Pandey, whose attempts were initially rebuffed as a 'futile exercise'. She said, 'I managed to convince a group of women from the village about the importance of reviving the Noon and why it might actually come back this time. That group helped spread this message far and wide. Walking along the dry riverbed, these women would sing slogans like 'Hum sabne milke thana hai, Noon nadi ko fir se jeewant karaana hai (we are all determined to revive the Noon)',' she said. To convince the locals, gram panchayat officials, including the pradhan (village head), District Magistrate, Chief Development Officer (CDO) and other officials 'volunteered' to clear the riverbed. Explaining the revival process in detail, CDO Diksha Jain said, 'After studying the old maps available with the irrigation department, experts were able to pinpoint the Noon's starting point.' Ground surveys by MGNREGA, irrigation and panchayati raj officials, and old records revealed that the Noon once flowed through three blocks — Shivrajpur, Chaubeypur and Kalyanpur — that span the 34 panchayats, she said, adding that the entire river was then mapped by a drone. 'To adopt the correct methodology for the Noon's revival, we approached the Remote Sensing Centre. Satellite imagery by the centre showed that the problem areas (dry patches or shallow riverbeds) mostly lay in the river's upper channel. In case of the lower stretch, just clearing that channel could help restore the natural flow of water,' said Jain, adding that Noon's restoration cost the district about Rs 1.22 crore, with a major portion comprising wages under the MGNREGA. The survey also revealed that factories along the river, including a rice mill and a kattha unit, and some poultry farms were dumping waste into the Noon. Besides this, big boulders — construction waste from a nearby national highway — thrown into the river near the Chaubeypur block were blocking its flow. 'Since these areas could not be cleared manually, private companies used their Corporate Social Responsibility funds to pay for JCBs (excavators),' said Jain. While water from the revived river has been taking care of local irrigation needs, local farmers hope the Noon will no longer enter their fields during the monsoon, destroying the standing crop. 'Dhaan boya hai abhi. Dekhte hain iss baar (I have just planted paddy. Let's see what happens this year),' said Ramesh. Like him, Raj Kumar, a resident of the nearby Sailaha gram panchayat, said, 'During summer, we had to rent pumps to draw underground water. These pumps cost around Rs 250 an hour to irritate one bigha. This season, I simply made a check dam by the river. I have sowed maize in my field. I hope the river doesn't flood my land this year.' The river's revival has also breathed new life into the dwindling popularity of the rural job scheme. Raj Kumar was among those who worked for the river's rejuvenation. 'I earned Rs 25,000 for the three-month project under the MGNREGA,' he said. Rampur Narua panchayat secretary Pandey adds, 'In the financial year 2023-24, our panchayat generated just 1,200 man days (under MGNREGA). The three-month Noon project generated 1,760 man days in our panchayat alone.' Claiming that the rejuvenation of nearly 50 rivers is 'almost complete', a state official added, 'Most revived rivers across the state flow through more than one district. Some of these have been revived after almost six decades. In fact, most of these rivers were completely forgotten over time.' Venkatesh Dutta, a professor at BBAU and a technical expert on the Lucknow division's expert committee on river rejuvenation, said, 'After detailed surveys, a list of about 50 small rivers was made. After expert institutes were roped in, 25 more rivers were added to the list.' Stating that mere desilting of a river or clearing of vegetation was passed off as its rejuvenation earlier, he added, 'Our current intervention, besides re-establishing the natural flow of the river and its basin, includes defining the floodplain, removing encroachments and legacy waste, and creating vegetation patches along these rivers with the forest department's help.' Giving the example of Lucknow's Kukrail river, Prof Dutta said, 'The Kukrail was known as a nallah in the city for decades. A 1985 satellite image revealed that it was, in fact, a 28-km river that passed through the city and the forest. About 5 km of encroachments have been removed so far. Sitapur's Sarain river too was known as a nallah, in which industrial, solid and sewage waste was being dumped.'
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
From obscurity to triumph: Matuka rivulet reborn in Kashi
1 2 3 4 5 6 Lucknow: From obscurity to revival, the Matuka rivulet's story is one of triumph. Once the lifeblood of Varanasi's fields, it was reduced to a forgotten waterway, suffocated by neglect and encroachment. Yet, it has emerged anew, a testament to resilience and the power of renewal. Led by Naveen Kumar G S, secretary of irrigation and water resources, Uttar Pradesh, and the strategic framework of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) – Watershed Development Component 2.0, Matuka's revival is now a reality. Guided by the department of land resources and backed by the district administration, the micro-watershed rejuvenation effort has transformed the landscape. "The journey began with the removal of encroachments, clearing the path for water to breathe. 'Jal chaupals' brought local communities together, reviving traditional wisdom and fostering ownership. Soil and water conservation measures were implemented, and MGNREGA provided both employment and sustainability. Native vegetation was planted along the banks, stabilising the soil and restoring ecological balance," he said. "As water returned to Matuka, so did hope. Farmers are reaping the benefits, with noticeable improvements in soil moisture, rising groundwater levels and healthier crops. But this is more than just a stream's revival. It's a model of community-led watershed management, blending tradition, science, and citizen participation. Matuka's story is a testament to what collective resolve can achieve," added the 2007 batch IAS officer who joined the irrigation department in Sept last year.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
Nine rivers revived in Rampur through govt, community efforts
Lucknow: Rampur district saw a record nine small rivers come back to life under the river revival programme of the state govt. Govt and community efforts to revive Nahal, Hatiyari, Sajni, Neeli, Aril, Naiya, Revati, Baigul and Chaugaja rivers not only benefitted farmers across more than 100 gram panchayats but also transformed the rural landscape. A govt spokesperson said blocks like Bilaspur, Chamraua, Milak, Saidnagar, Shahabad and Swar became green and groundwater levels started rising again. "The mission owes its success to the combined efforts of the State Mission for Clean Ganga, Namami Gange and the rural water supply department, whose coordinated work executed on a war footing is breathing life back into dried-up rivers," the official said. He pointed out that the revival of the Nahal river is a historic achievement. The river stretches 75 km and passes through 43 gram panchayats in the Milak, Chamraua, and Saidnagar blocks. The river was dry for nearly 60 years. Under the current project, the river started flowing again, and the project generated 1.5 lakh man-days under MGNREGA, employing more than 2,500 families. Chief development officer Nand Kishore Kalaal said the subsurface dam technology, commonly used in southern parts of India, was deployed for the first time in Rampur to revive the Sainani river. Meanwhile, work on the 14-km long Naiya Nadi generated 42,648 man-days and provided employment to 465 families. The river flows through villages like Hasanpur North, Ladpur Semra, Khushalpur and others. The Aril River rejuvenation created 4,260 man-days of work. It passes through Nadarganj, Khanjipura and four other gram panchayats. Revival of the 12 km long Neeli Nadi resulted in 36,000 man-days of work and jobs for 620 families while the work on the 12 km long Revati River benefitted seven gram panchayats, created 27,000 man-days of work, and provided employment to 545 families. "The river rejuvenation campaign in Rampur not only boosted groundwater levels and irrigation facilities but also created sustainable employment opportunities. It is a shining example of environmental restoration along with economic empowerment in rural UP," the official said.
