Sot River, as soon as the lifeline of Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh, misplaced its herbal float because of many years of encroachment. Here is how IAS Manish Bansal, in conjunction with officers and locals, revived the 110-km stretch, restoring water float and getting rid of waterlogging.
Kind of 50 years in the past, the Sot river – a tributary of the mighty Ganges – was once a lifeline for the citizens of the Sambhal district in Uttar Pradesh, with farmers relying on its water for irrigating their lush inexperienced paddy and peppermint vegetation.
Alternatively, the river that passes thru 71 gram panchayats in 5 building blocks disappeared from the district because of large-scale encroachment and forget. In 2022, when the newly-appointed district Justice of the Peace IAS Manish Bansal visited the sector, he discovered there was once rarely any water within the river.
“I noticed that the river was once nearly non-existent. Shall we most effective see small puliya (culverts) that had been as soon as remodeled the river. At a number of issues, farmers had began rising vegetation bearing in mind it to be vacant land. The streak of the river was once no longer totally attached,” he says.
“At some puts, the world was once lined in small puddles. The river was once encroached to the level that it misplaced its trail of herbal float downstream. Because of this, within reach spaces would stay waterlogged throughout monsoon. Previous, the Sot river acted as a herbal drainage device for the world,” he provides.
Along with this, the groundwater desk had vastly diminished within the house as farmers turned into depending on borewells, which additional exacerbated the water downside within the area. “Even hand pumps, as deep as 50 ft, began changing into non-functional as a result of the receding water desk,” says Manish.
That’s when the IAS officer made up our minds to rejuvenate the river. In dialog with The Higher India, he stocks how the district management revived the river to its outdated glory.
The masterplan at the back of the river rejuvenation
Spearheaded by way of Manish, the Sambhal district performed a survey of the duration of the river. The consequences confirmed that the Sot river, which looked to be non-existent, was once in truth a 110 km lengthy stretch ranging from the Amroha district within the North and flowing in opposition to Budaun within the South.
At the start, the management performed a survey to grasp the herbal alignment of the river. This was once adopted by way of bodily demarcation of the area to be informed concerning the duration and breadth of the river. The 3rd step was once to transparent the unlawful encroachments.
“Some of the main demanding situations was once to take away the encroachments alongside the river. The usage of the income land information, we understood that there have been massive encroachments at the river house which had develop into flat at some issues. Despite the fact that there was once no everlasting development, other folks began the usage of it to develop vegetation. Because it was once unlawful utilization, we sought the assistance of the income land information group to transparent encroachments,” says Manish.
The fourth step was once desilting of the river to take away nice silt and sediment amassed within the river and repair it to its herbal capability. As a part of this, the district management roped in MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi Nationwide Rural Employment Ensure Act) staff to wash and dig the riverbed afresh.
Began in December 2022, the mission was once finished in six months by way of June 2023. All through the ultimate monsoon, the river captured the rainwater and was once revived to its outdated glory. The area was once additionally unfastened from waterlogging.
“Each and every river has a catchment house. The herbal float of water in a space might be in opposition to the river, so runoff water from within reach spaces flows in that path. If the float is hindered, then water will get logged within the house however this time, this water was once directed in opposition to Sot,” Manish provides.
This building was once additionally adopted by way of an enormous plantation force alongside the river financial institution. As many as 10,000 bamboo saplings had been planted to stop long term soil erosion.
Keeping up the river’s restored glory
After the mission of entirety, it was once seen that the seasonal Sot river gained plentiful water within the monsoon and remained rejuvenated for the following two and a part months. As a part of the mission, a number of micro test dams had been additionally constructed at the river to sluggish the runoff within the channel.
Curiously, this paintings was once lauded by way of the Top Minister in his per month radio programme ‘Mann Ki Baat’ in September 2023. “This proved to be very encouraging for all of the officers and gram panchayats related to the mission. Impressed by way of this, the districts of Amroha and Budaun additionally undertook the mission of reviving the Sot river downstream and upstream, respectively,” stocks Manish.
Manish credit the luck of the mission to the area people, gram panchayats, MGNREGA staff, and district officers. In June 2024, he was once transferred to Saharanpur district however this didn’t have an effect on the luck of the mission.
Ram Ashish, the District Construction Officer of Sambhal, tells The Higher India, “We stay tracking for encroachments and be sure that the river stays rejuvenated. Publish monsoon, the soil erodes into the river. So, we’re operating on a plan to organise desiltation and proceed the paintings began by way of Manish sir.”
He provides that whilst some downstream spaces lately have water, they be expecting to look the river stuffed to the brim in a few days when it rains.
In the meantime, IAS Manish was once reached out to by way of citizens of Saharanpur to copy the paintings seeing the luck of the mission in Sambhal district. “Saharanpur has a number of seasonal rivers akin to Kali and Hindon rivers. They originate from Shivaliks and go in the course of the district. Over time, their house has shriveled. We intention to paintings on those rivers subsequent,” he says.
Alternatively, Manish believes that the management can most effective play the position of a facilitator, however it is just when the group turns into the protector of its rivers that they are able to stay rejuvenated.
For Manish, the Sot river rejuvenation mission throughout his tenure in Sambhal was once extraordinarily enjoyable. “This mission was once very with regards to my center. Tasks akin to river rejuvenation take a backseat as they aren’t at all times a concern amongst different regimen works. But when we don’t rejuvenate those rivers, other folks will face the brunt of a water disaster. Fortunately, the State Govt has additionally been actively specializing in the surroundings by way of reviving water our bodies and setting up Amrit Sarovar tasks,” he provides.
Edited by way of Khushi Arora; All pictures: Ram Ashish.