Sambhal administration plans to restore more rivers following the Sot river revival

Speaking to ANI, District Magistrate Rajendra Pensiya said that while the Sot River has already been revived, restoration work is currently underway on the Mahwa, Areel, and Vardhaman rivers.

"Five rivers have been identified, out of which the Sot river has been revived. The restoration work of the Mahwa, Areel, and Vardhaman rivers is going on under MNREGA," he said.

He added that the Mahishmati River Tirth, listed among the 87 'Dev Tirth' (sacred river confluences), is being studied for revival.

"The 'Mahishmati River Tirth' is one of the 87 'Dev Tirth'. It is being studied and the same team that revived Lucknow's Kukrail river, has been called in. The path of the river will be identified and verified, and the river will be restored as a perennial river," Pensiya said.

The Sot River, a tributary of the Ganges, had disappeared from the Sambhal district of Uttar Pradesh due to encroachment and years of neglect. However, the river has been revived thanks to a collaborative effort between the district administration and social workers.

The project to revive the Sot River was started in 2021 by the then Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Sambhal, Sot River Revival: A success story of Janbhagidari in MNREGA from Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh.

During his Mann ki Baat program in 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned the revival process of the Sot River.

Prime Minister Modi mentioned the Sot river in his Mann Ki Baat radio address, which excited the people of the area. The district administration then took up the task of reviving the river with the help of social workers.

Following the success of the Sot River revival, the district administration now aims to replicate the model to restore more rivers and rejuvenate the region's natural water heritage. (ANI)