Lucknow, May 16 (UNI) Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday directed that all flood prevention programmes be completed by June 15 to ensure adequate preparedness ahead of potential natural disasters.
During a high-level review meeting of the Irrigation and Water Resources Department, the CM said that Uttar Pradesh is a frontrunner among Indian states in floodplain zoning. "The action plan for flood protection must be completed on schedule," he said.
He said that over the past eight years, 1,665 flood projects have been completed across the state, safeguarding 40.72 lakh hectares of land and benefiting a population of 3.19 crore. "Each project must be executed with quality and within the stipulated time to minimise the impact of floods during the monsoon season," he said.
Yogi said that river dredging and channelisation are the most effective long-term solutions for flood control. "Between 2018 and 2025, dredging work on 60 rivers has been completed, protecting 4.07 lakh hectares of agricultural land and providing relief to over 23 lakh people," he said.
He stressed the urgency of accelerating the river revival campaign. He directed the Irrigation, Revenue, Namami Gange and Urban Development departments to coordinate closely to restore endangered rivers.
He made it clear that cleaning polluted rivers is a state priority and strict measures must be taken to prevent any discharge of industrial waste into water bodies.
The CM directed that the Namami Gange and Irrigation Departments collaborate to accelerate the cleaning of the Yamuna River, along with channelisation and tapping of drains. He highlighted the Varuna and Assi rivers of Kashi, noting their historical significance and emphasising the need for their revival.
He directed that a riverfront be developed along the Varuna River and that its water be utilised for irrigation by constructing reservoirs and check dams. "The revival work for the Assi River should start soon. “All existing reservoirs across the state must be repaired and desilted promptly and plans should be drawn up to construct new ones. Besides, efforts should be expedited to channel the Ganga's stream to Vidur Kuti, modelled after the Shukartaal Tirtha in Muzaffarnagar," he said.
Yogi said that in the past eight years, 1,129 irrigation projects have been completed, creating irrigation facilities over 5,019,640 hectares and directly benefiting 21,688,493 farmers. He said that the Saryu Canal, Bansagar, and Arjun Sahayak projects have now been completed, and work must continue in mission mode to deliver water to farmers' fields efficiently.
He said that the state government views floods and droughts not merely as natural disasters but as challenges that can be averted through administrative vigilance. He asserted that with proactive preparation and a robust water policy, the state can overcome water crises and pave the way for agricultural prosperity.
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