This story is from June 30, 2020

UP govt to bank on migrants to resuscitate 19 ‘dying’ rivers

While the revival of Kalyani river in Barabanki takes shape, the state government has prepared a blueprint for roping in workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) to rejuvenate 19 more rivers gasping for life.
UP govt to bank on migrants to resuscitate 19 ‘dying’ rivers
Representative image
LUCKNOW: While the revival of Kalyani river in Barabanki takes shape, the state government has prepared a blueprint for roping in workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS) to rejuvenate 19 more rivers gasping for life.
The total span of these rivers is 3,600km which is much more than the Ganga which covers a distance of over 2,000km from Gangotri to eventually flow into the Bay of Bengal.

According to the plan drawn out by the rural development department, these 19 rivers have a catchment area in 39 districts of the state covering 189 development blocks and 1,952 gram panchayats.
These rivers are Sai, Pandu, Mandakini, Tedhi, Manorama, Varuna, Sasur Khaderi, Arel, Morao, Tamsa, Naad, Karnavati, Baan, Sone, Kali, Dadhi, Ishan, Budhi Ganga and Gomti.
The rivers pass through Bahraich, Gonda, Basti, Auraiyya, Kannauj, Kanpur, Kanpur Dehat, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Prayagraj, Bhadohi, Varanasi, Kaushambi, Hardoi, Unnao, Rae Bareli, Lucknow, Jaunpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, Shahjahanpur, Pilibhit, Badaun, Bareilly, Chitrakoot, Ayodhya, Ambedkarnagar, Mirzapur, Bijnore, Moradabad, Sambhal, Meerut, Hapur, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Etah, Kasganj and Amroha.
Data of the rural development show that the longest stretch is that of Sai which flows for around 250km in Unnao, followed by river Tedhi which passes through Gonda district covering 192km.

Manorama river in Gonda covers the shortest distance of 1km though the river has a catchment area of 110km in neighbouring Basti. Ban river in Moradabad also flows for a short distance of 1.20km though its span enlarges to 42km in Amroha and 117km in Bijnor.
Talking to TOI, additional commissioner, MNREGS, Yogesh Kumar said, “The revival of rivers is one of the key projects proposed to be taken up under the Centre’s flagship employment scheme. The work of the revival of these 19 rivers will get momentum in next few days.”
The department will work in coordination with Jal Shakti ministry which has jurisdiction over water bodies.
A state-level committee having senior officials from rural development department has already been set up by the government. Officials said availability of migrant workers in every district would speed up the project.
“We want to complete major part of work before monsoon,” said an official of rural development department.
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