UP govt launches drive to revive 75 small rivers across the state

The Uttar Pradesh government has launched an initiative to revive 75 small rivers and tributaries across the state through a well-coordinated and technology-driven campaign, an official statement said on Sunday.

Acting on the directives of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, a strategic plan has been implemented with the collaboration of 10 key departments and leading technical institutions to ensure effective and sustainable river rejuvenation, it said.

A divisional-level monitoring committee, headed by the respective divisional commissioner, has been constituted to oversee the implementation and quality of the work.

The revival effort is receiving technical expertise from premier institutes such as IIT Kanpur, IIT BHU, IIT Roorkee, and BBAU Lucknow, which are preparing river-specific plans based on detailed studies of geographical, ecological, and social factors, the statement said.

The campaign, originally initiated in 2018 under the MGNREGA scheme, has now evolved into a more structured and technologically empowered mission.

Activities under the programme include stream cleaning, water channelling, rainwater harvesting, and extensive plantation drives.

To ensure smooth implementation, the government has brought together 10 departments: Irrigation, Minor Irrigation, Panchayati Raj, Forest, Horticulture and Food Processing, Fisheries, Urban Development, UP State Water Resources Agency, Rural Development, and Revenue, it said.

These departments are working in synergy at the district level to execute the rejuvenation efforts.

District Ganga committees have also been tasked with monitoring the river systems locally and encouraging community participation, ensuring that the revival process remains continuous, inclusive, and deeply rooted in public engagement.