While India observed the World River Day yesterday, 25 September, acknowledging the importance of rivers in preservation of life, one cannot overlook the civil servants who have revived and rejuvenated dying rivers and even brought dead rivers back to life with their hard work and determination.
This year, the theme was: ‘It is a celebration of the world’s waterways.’ The day is observed with the main aim of taking necessary steps to conserve the water bodies, and we present the work of few officers who have successfully done just that, proving yet again that where there is a will, there is a way.
HOW BHAGIRATHI JI BROUGHT BACK HEVAL RIVER TO LIFE
We start with with one of the biggest river revival projects took up by a civil servant. Bhagirathi ji, or IFS officer Dharm Singh Meena from Uttarakhand cadre, started the Heval River Rejuvenation Project in the Tehri division of Uttarakhand few years back. The project not only rejuvenated the river but also took care of springs, streams and the riverbed, and created employment opportunities for the local people.
After the success of the project, when the river came back to life, the local population started calling the officer ‘Bhagirathi Ji’. To read more about how this river was brought back to life, click on this link:
REMARKABLE RESTORATION OF A DYING RIVER IN UP
Another commendable revival project was carried out by IAS officer Priyanka Niranjan, who brought a river, that was on the verge of extinction for the past 20 years, back to life. The officer restored the Noon River in Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh.
The river which was almost dead for the past 20 years was revived through public participation, and now, thousands of farmers benefit from it. Read about it here:
THE REVIVAL OF GOMTI AND MAKING IT SUSTAINABLE
Gomti, one of the holy rivers of India and the lifeline of Uttar Pradesh, originates from Gomat Taal, Fulhaar Jheel in Madho Tanda, Pilibhit. It travels 47 kms in the district and then moves to other parts of UP, including Jaunpur, Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur and the capital city Lucknow.
DC Pilibhit, Pulkit Khare, is on a mission to revive this sacred river to bring it back to its original shape and flow. His efforts are already showing and around 30 kms of the stretch has been rejuvenated already.
To read more about the Gomti revival project, click here:
REVIVING A DYING RIVER AND GENERATING EMPLOYMENT
The migrant workers were among the most affected people during the Covid lockdown. With no work, no money to survive on, and no transportation to take them home, they had to walk hundreds of kilometres to reach their villages and families.
At such distressing times, IAS officer Adarsh Singh, District Magistrate of Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh, came like a blessing in disguise to them. He not only generated jobs for around 800 workers, but, simultaneously, brought back a dead river to life!
To know how he did it, read the whole story here:
