Expressing concern over the growing water crisis, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday directed officials to turn the construction and restoration of check dams and ponds into a mass movement on the lines of the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign.
Chairing a review meeting of the Namami Gange and Rural Water Supply (Minor Irrigation) department, he said such structures are a national necessity, offering cost-effective water conservation and groundwater recharge compared to large dams, the UP government said in a statement.
Adityanath informed that 6,448 check dams have been built across seasonal rivers and streams, creating irrigation potential for 1.28 lakh hectares and recharging over 10,000 hectare-metres of groundwater annually.
Since 2022-23, 1,002 check dams have been de-silted, while 1,343 ponds out of 16,610 have been redeveloped. Between 2017 and 2025, 6,192 blast coupes were constructed, providing irrigation for 18,576 hectares.
He further directed that …
