CM Yogi Adityanath reviewed the works of Irrigation and Water Resources Department at a high-level meeting held at his official residence today. He directed the officials to complete all the rescue works before the possible floods by June 15, so that preparations can be completed in time. He informed that Uttar Pradesh is one of the leading states in the country which is effectively implementing flood plain zoning, so the projects related to flood management should be completed in a time bound and quality manner.
The Chief Minister said that in the last eight years, a total of 1,665 flood projects have been completed in the state, securing 40.72 lakh hectares of land and benefiting 319.14 lakh people. He emphasised that every project should be completed on time and with high quality so that the impact of floods during monsoon is minimal.
He informed that dredging and channelisation of rivers are the most effective measures under the long-term strategy of flood management. From 2018 to 2025, a total of 60 river dredging projects have been completed, benefiting 4.07 lakh hectares of agricultural land and providing relief to more than 23 lakh people.
The Chief Minister said that the Irrigation, Revenue, Namami Gange and Urban Development departments should work together to revive the vanishing rivers. He gave strict instructions not to let industrial waste go into the rivers under any circumstances and said that cleaning the rivers is the priority of the government.
He directed to expedite the cleaning of Yamuna river, channelisation and tapping of drains. At the same time, making a special mention of the historical Varuna and Assi rivers of Kashi, he said that their revival is necessary. A plan should be prepared for the construction of a river front on the Varuna river, to use the water for irrigation through check dams and reservoirs. The work of rejuvenation of Assi river should also be started soon.
The Chief Minister directed to complete the repair and desilting of all the old reservoirs in a time-bound manner and to plan for the construction of new reservoirs. At the same time, he asked to work expeditiously on the plan to bring Ganga water flow in Vidur Kuti on the lines of Shukratal in Muzaffarnagar.
He also informed that in the last eight years, 1,129 irrigation projects have been completed in the state, due to which irrigation facility has been developed in 50.19 lakh hectares of land and 2.16 crore farmers have been benefited. The Saryu canal, Bansagar and Arjun Sahayak projects have now been completed and the work of providing water to the fields of the farmers should be done on mission mode.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government does not consider floods and droughts as mere natural calamities, but as challenges that can be tackled with administrative acumen. Through early preparation and effective water policy, Uttar Pradesh can be freed from water crisis and farmers can be made happy.