Lucknow, May 16 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday ordered completing all flood prevention programmes by June 15 to ensure adequate preparedness ahead of potential natural disasters.
The chief minister was chairing a high-level review meeting of the irrigation and water resources department, according to a statement.
He highlighted that Uttar Pradesh was a frontrunner among Indian states in floodplain zoning. "The action plan for flood protection must be completed on schedule."
Adityanath noted that 1,665 flood projects had been completed across the state during the past eight years, 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," he said.
He further said that river dredging and channelisation were the most effective long-term solutions for flood control.
Between 2018 and 2025, dredging work on 60 rivers had been completed, protecting 4.07 lakh hectares of agricultural land and providing relief to over 23 lakh people.
The chief minister stressed the urgency of accelerating the river revival campaign. He directed the irrigation, revenue, Namami Gange, and urban development departments to coordinate to restore endangered rivers.
He made it clear that cleaning polluted rivers was a state government priority and strict measures must be taken to prevent any discharge of industrial waste into water bodies.
Adityanath directed that the Namami Gange and the irrigation departments collaborate to accelerate the cleaning of the Yamuna, along with channelisation and tapping of drains.
He specifically highlighted the Varuna and the Assi rivers, noting their historical significance and emphasising the need for their revival.
The chief minister instructed that a riverfront be developed along the Varuna and that its water be utilsed for irrigation by constructing reservoirs and check dams.
"The revival work for the Assi should commence soon," he said.
"All existing reservoirs across the state must be repaired and desilted promptly, and plans should be drawn up to construct new ones. Additionally, efforts should be expedited to channel the Ganga's stream to Vidur Kuti, modeled after the Shukartaal Tirtha in Muzaffarnagar," he added.
Adityanath noted that 1,129 irrigation projects had been completed in the past eight years.
He said the Saryu canal, Bansagar and Arjun Sahayak projects had been completed and work must continue in mission mode to efficiently deliver water to farmers' fields. He emphasised ensuring that farmers did not face any shortage of irrigation water.
The chief minister said the state government viewed floods and droughts not merely as natural disasters but challenges that could be averted through administrative vigilance.
He asserted that with proactive preparation and a robust water policy, the state could overcome water crises and pave the way for agricultural prosperity.