Noida: UP govt has sanctioned Rs 32 lakh to demarcate the floodplain of Khokhari (Sandhli) river using concrete pillars in Saharanpur and Shamli districts, complying with an NGT order of Aug 2025 on a petition highlighting the river’s deteriorating condition.A total of Rs 38.9 lakh was approved for the project under the irrigation and water resources department, according to the govt order, with Rs 32 lakh released as the first instalment from the state fund for the 2026-27 financial year.The order, which lays down conditions on the use of funds, states that technical approval must be obtained from a competent authority before the work begins. It states that the sum must be used strictly for the approved purpose. The chief engineer and irrigation officials would be held accountable for irregularities, it stated.The Khokhari originates at Chausana village in Saharanpur and flows west of residential areas through several villages before reaching Khwajpura in Shamli, where it merges with the Yamuna. Unchecked water use, encroachments and pollution have degraded the river, while its diminishing flow has depleted groundwater in the region, hitting agriculture and local livelihoods.The petitioner, Dr Amit Kumar, claimed untreated sewage discharged into Khokhari eventually added to Yamuna’s pollution.Hearing the matter on Aug 1, 2025, the NGT’s principal bench, comprising chairperson justice Prakash Srivastava and expert member Dr A Senthil Vel, directed the district magistrates of Saharanpur and Shamli to file affidavits listing all minor and major drains discharging into the river and to submit a time-bound plan to stop the flow of sewage and domestic waste, along with a schedule for demarcating the floodplain in their respective districts.The bench also sought details of action taken to remove encroachments and a time-bound plan for clearing those remaining, to ensure the river’s continuous flow. It had allowed six months for the process. Nearly a year later, work has only now begun on the ground.
