UP’s River Renaissance: 86 MGNREGA Projects Spark Green Wave Across Uttar Pradesh

Image Source: The Statesman

Pioneering a path of eco-resurgence, the government of Uttar Pradesh has undertaken a pathbreaking initiative to restore rivers through 86 special ventures under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). The ambitious exercise, which integrates technology, people's involvement, and enormous interdepartmental coordination, has a target to restore 75 small rivers and tributaries and create thousands of rural jobs and improve water security within the state.

Key Highlights

Integrated River Restoration:

The UP government has also identified and started 86 new projects of deepening, cleaning, and rejuvenation of small rivers—i.e., in Ganga Gram Panchayats. They have already helped in raising groundwater levels and easing water shortages for farmers in the area.

Multi-Departmental Collaboration:

Ten key government ministries like Irrigation, Forest, Panchayati Raj, and Rural Development are all operating in coordination. Such coordination ensures river science knowledge, water management, forest cover, and rural reach.

Tech-Driven Revival:

Premier institutions such as IIT Kanpur, IIT BHU, IIT Roorkee, and BBAU are offering scientific inputs, including geo-hydrological mapping and ecological surveys to formulate river-specific restoration plans.

Community Involvement:

District-level committees, such as district Ganga committees, provide for widespread community engagement—localizing the process, making it participatory, and ongoing.

Core Activities:

The projects include desilting of streams and rivers, the formation of canals, rainwater harvesting, and mass plantation campaigns, all with the aim of reviving natural flows, improving irrigation, and enhancing biodiversity.

Substantial Contribution:

Rehabilitation of rivers like Budhi Rapti and Manorama directly benefited hundreds of villages in terms of extra water for irrigation and sustainable agricultural growth. Holistic Sustainability: The program is consistent with state and national goals for water saving, climate resilience, and rural development and is designed to be a model for other states. Source:

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Source: Devdiscourse, The Economic Times, UNI India, The Statesman, The Print, NetZero India, Times of India.