BJP MLA from Sitapur constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Rakesh Rathore has induced new life into the Sarayan river, a small tributary of Gomti river flowing through Lakhimpur and Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh which had been reduced to a dirty canal over the years.
The MLA has been putting in efforts to ultimately convert Sarayan river into a riverfront, much in the lines of the Sabarmati riverfront which is being developed along the banks of Sabarmati river in Gujarat and the Gomti riverfront being developed in Lucknow.
Over the years, the Sarayan river flowing through Sitapur district had been reduced to a dumping ground.
According to locals, the adjoining areas had become inaccessible due to the foul smell emitted from the garbage dumped along the river, until BJP MLA Rakesh Rathore personally took up the task of cleaning the river. The MLA, without taking any government aide, personally undertook the responsibility.
According to Rakesh Rathore, the sanitisation work is being continuously done for the last 271 days. Rathore further informs that out of the total distance of 7 km, 2 km of the stream has been completely sanitised, meanwhile, work in the next 1 km stretch is in progress.
Rathore, recollecting his childhood, when Sarayan river used to be a clean and free-flowing water body in Sitapur, said that he was troubled by the deteriorated conditions of the water body and had decided to take up the sanitization work soon after he became the member of the legislative assembly.
He also confirmed that he had future plans of developing a riverfront along the river after the entire sanitization process is completed. Rathore acknowledged the contributions made by the locals of the area, without whose help, executing such a mammoth task would be impossible.
The BJP MLA said that he met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath who assured all possible support in his endeavour. He added that till date a sum of Rs 65 lakh has been spent on the project.
The BJP government form the beginning as given extreme importance to clean environment. Since PM Modi was elected to office during his first tenure, he has put great efforts in the ‘Namami Gange Programme’ (Clean Ganga Project).
At the beginning of this year, all the gifts and mementoes that Prime Miniter Narendra Modi has received were put for auction at National Gallery of Modern Art, New Delhi and the proceeds were used by the government to fund projects like Clean Ganga Project.
‘Namami Gange Programme’, an integrated conservation mission, was approved as the flagship programme by the BJP government in May 2015 to accomplish the objectives of effective abatement of pollution, conservation, and rejuvenation of the Ganga.
Last year, in a 1500 km long expedition which lasted over a month, a 40 member team led by Everester Bachendri Pal, the country’s first woman who reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1984, removed over 55 tons of garbage and waste from the Ganga.
In December last year, it was reported that there is a marked improvement in the level of dissolved oxygen in the river in more than a decade. The experts had also asserted that along with dissolved oxygen, even pH amount has reached satisfactory levels.
In fact, it was because of BJP government’s consistent efforts, that the Uttarakhand High Court declared river ‘Ganga’ as the first living entity of India.
