Varanasi: An action plan for the revival of the Lauwa river in Sonbhadra district was presented at the Indian Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, on the occasion of World Rivers Day.The presentation was held under the “One River, One Initiative” programme of the State Clean Ganga Mission, Lucknow. Selected district project officers from across Uttar Pradesh presented river revival plans for their respective districts.Mahendra Kumar Gautam, district project officer, district Ganga committee, Sonbhadra, forest department, presented the current status of the Lauwa river, key challenges affecting it and the proposed roadmap for its rejuvenation. The action plan focused on river conservation, restoration of water flow, watershed development, structural interventions, community participation and long-term measures for sustainable revival.Union minister of state for Jal Shakti Raj Bhushan Choudhary honoured Gautam with a certificate for his participation. Choudhary said the Central and Uttar Pradesh govts are working together to ensure the cleanliness and uninterrupted flow of the Ganga and its tributaries. He said the state govt is taking result-oriented steps under the “One District, One River” initiative and urged people to actively support the mission.Ganga Samagra national president Amarendra Kumar Singh said the goal of a clean and uninterrupted Ganga cannot be achieved without cleaning its tributaries and restoring their natural flow. He also highlighted the organisation’s work through its 15 key dimensions for Ganga conservation.Ganga Samagra provincial co-convener Diwakar Dwivedi spoke about the spiritual significance of the Ganga and explained the organisation’s areas of work. Prof Abhishek Srivastava, co-provincial convener of Ganga Samagra, presented research on organic farming to encourage farmers in villages along the Ganga.IIT-BHU Dean Prof Rajesh Kumar said the cleanliness and uninterrupted flow of the Ganga and its tributaries are essential for humanity’s welfare. Programme convener Prof.Prabhat Kumar Singh of the civil engineering department introduced the theme of the event, while Prof Vikas Kumar Dubey of the sustainable development sector shared details of project-based work.Mithilesh Mishra, representing the State Mission for Clean Ganga, gave a powerPoint presentation on work being carried out for small rivers across districts of Uttar Pradesh. District project officers from 12 districts also presented their work.
