Noon, Pili rivers revived in Uttar Pradesh under 'one district-one river' initiative

Kanpur city's Noon River, which had disappeared due to silt deposition and encroachment, has started flowing again due to the UP government's initiative to revive dying rivers.

This renaissance of the Noon River has become an inspirational model not only for Kanpur city but for the entire Uttar Pradesh, the state government said in a statement on Tuesday, crediting the achievement to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's "One District - One River" initiative.

Similarly, the Pili River, a tributary of the River Gomti in Jaunpur district, has been revived through collective efforts of the public, it said.

The Noon River, which once irrigated the fields of Bilhaur, Shivrajpur and Chaubepur and was an integral part of rural culture, had become a victim of neglect. Encroachments and silt had completely blocked the flow of water, it said.

Chief Minister Adityanath's idea was to revive rivers that were once an integral part of people's lives. The "One District - One River" scheme was launched with this aim and the Noon River was selected as a model case.

Led by Kanpur District Magistrate Jitendra Pratap Singh and Chief Development Officer Diksha Jain, the campaign to revive the river lay emphasis on public participation.

Revenue records, accounts from villagers, drone surveys and satellite images were used to find the old route of the 48-km-long Noon River.

After this, the work of cleaning, digging, silt removal and embankment construction started under the MGNREGA scheme.

Under this, about 6,000 workers from 58 gram panchayats did the work of digging and cleaning a stretch of about 23 km.

Manual labour was used instead of machines. About Rs 57 lakh was spent in this entire process and more than 23,000 man-days were created.

The cooperation of local public representatives, villagers, private companies and industries was also taken in reviving the river.

Many factories that were draining polluted water into the river were closed after being given notice.

"With the participation of society, this campaign turned into a mass movement," the statement said.

The Chief Development Officer (CDO) of Kanpur, Diksha Jain, said that the Noon River's aerial survey was done through drones and its route was identified through satellite images.

It was found that the river bed was encroached at many places and water hyacinth had also come up.

At many places, a large amount of soil was also deposited. In February, in the presence of public representatives, a programme for its revival was started. In this, maximum work was done through MGNREGA.

"Help was also taken from private companies and local industries. The result was very encouraging," she said.

The river, which had completely dried up, has come back to life with significant waterflow. Recently, under the plantation campaign, more than 40,000 saplings have been planted on the banks of the river.

"Local people are very excited to see the progress of the revival of the river," Jain said.

Once choked and forgotten, the Pili River has also been revived with similar efforts.

The 61.2 km-long river, with 43 km flowing through Jaunpur, originates from Dehuna village in Badlapur tehsil and meanders through villages such as Bhalua, Khanpur, Bahur, Sirikna, and Rampur before merging into the Gomti River near Belwan.

From a cultural perspective, the Pili River holds a deep connection with Jaunpur's identity. As part of the revival campaign held from June 11 to July 2, a 25-km stretch of the river was rejuvenated through community participation and awareness.

A key highlight of the campaign was the restoration of the ancient Shiva temple in Deoria village, located on the river's banks.

District Magistrate of Jaunpur Dinesh Chandra Singh said that in line with the'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' campaign, 11,000 saplings have already been planted along both sides of the river, with a target of 51,000 to be completed by August 15, the statement said.