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Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- General
- Hindustan Times
Flowing through 14 villages, 32.5-km Loni set for revival in Prayagraj
The initiative to revive vanishing small rivers in Uttar Pradesh is gaining momentum, with a restoration campaign now underway for the Loni River, which passes through 14 village panchayats in Shankargarh, Prayagraj district. Prayers marking the start of the Loni river rejuvenation efforts in Prayagraj. (HT PHOTO) A comprehensive plan has been prepared to rejuvenate the Loni river, widely regarded as the 'lifeline of Shankargarh' in the trans-Yamuna region of the district. Spanning around 32.5 kilometers, the river flows through 14 villages, informed chief development officer (CDO) of Prayagraj, Harshika Singh. The restoration work has officially commenced in the village panchayat of Gadha Katra in Shankargarh, marking a significant move toward ecological renewal and water conservation in the region, CDO Harshika Singh informed. Reviving rivers demands inclusive and collective efforts. Recognising this, the administration has called upon voluntary organisations, village head groups, public representatives, and women's self-help groups to actively participate and support the initiative. According to the CDO, excavation work will be undertaken under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), alongside plantation drives and the construction of embankments. She added that the district coordinator for MGNREGA has been directed to ensure the complete excavation of the river, removal of encroachments from both banks, and implementation of tree plantation along the river. During the monsoon season, small streams feed into the Loni, but numerous blockages along its course obstruct the natural flow. Officials stated that efforts will now be made to clear these obstructions and guide the water along its intended path. Earlier this year, two other small rivers in Prayagraj — the Lapari and Karnawati— were successfully revived. Once on the brink of disappearing, both rivers are now flowing freely and vibrantly once again. The Lapari, which originates from Koraon in Prayagraj, flows through more than 12 village panchayats over a stretch of approximately 18 kilometers before merging with the Belan river. Similarly, the Karnawati River—stretching about 19 kilometers and passing through over 15 village panchayats in the Manda region—was on the verge of extinction. The administration stepped in to revive both rivers. With a budget of ₹102.44 lakh under MGNREGA, the initiative generated 44,539 person-days of employment. Over 40,000 trees were planted on both sides of the river. After two years of hard work, the river's entire course has got filled with water.
Time of India
5 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Loni river's revival gains momentum
Prayagraj: The state govt's initiative to revive lost rivers has brought new hope to the Loni River, a vital water source for 14 gram panchayats in the Shankargarh block. Efforts are underway to restore and revive this lifeline river, benefiting local communities. Rs 1.50 crore will be spent on the project. Chief development officer Harshika Singh stated that the district is identifying and reviving endangered rivers as per govt directives. She highlighted that a strategy has been drafted to revive the Loni River, which is called the lifeline of Shankargarh, with restoration work already launched in Gram Panchayat Gadha Katra. The Loni River spans 32.50 km across 14 villages Officials said that collective efforts are needed to revive rivers, and for that, the local administration is appealing to NGOs, gram pradhan groups, public representatives, and women self-help groups to come forward for cooperation. The CDO said, "To revive the Loni River, excavation will first be done under MNREGA. Later, a plantation drive and embankments will be carried out." Authorities concerned have been instructed to completely excavate the river under MNREGA, remove encroachments on both sides and plant trees. During the rainy season, mountain streams flow in this river, but obstructions in the water route were spotted at many places. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo Plans are afoot to remove obstructions to ensure the free flow of water. The state govt's efforts have revived two rivers in the Sangam City, namely the Lapri River and the Karnavati River. The Lapri River, which originates from Koraon and flows through over 12 gram panchayats covering an area of about 18 km before merging into the Belan River, is now flowing smoothly. Similarly, the Karnavati River, which flows through more than 15 gram panchayats in Manda over a distance of about 19 km, has also been rejuvenated and is now flowing on its course. For both the rivers, 44,539 working days were generated with a budget of 102.44 lakhs under MNREGA. Besides, over 40,000 trees were planted on both sides of the river. After two years of hard work, the entire route of the river was filled with water.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Prayagraj administration cracks down on 2,000 PMAY defaulters
PRAYAGRAJ : The Prayagraj district administration has launched recovery proceedings against over 2,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana ( PMAY ) who received funds but failed to construct their houses. After sending notices, the administration is now preparing to issue Recovery Certificates (RCs) from the respective tehsils to reclaim the misused public funds. A total of 1,507 rural beneficiaries under PMAY-Gramin and 504 urban beneficiaries under PMAY-Urban did not complete their homes despite receiving government assistance. Notably, nearly 470 individuals in the urban sector received financial aid almost six years ago but have yet to build their houses, despite receiving all instalments. Of these, more than 400 beneficiaries did not even lay the foundation for their houses. Another 100 managed to build only partial structures such as incomplete walls. Urban areas such as Jhalwa, Dhoomanganj, Salori, Baghara, Rajapur, Kareli and Rajrooppur have the highest concentration of defaulters. Similarly, beneficiaries from towns like Sirsa, Bharatganj, Koraon, Shankargarh, Handia, Phulpur, Mauaima and Lal Gopalganj also failed to utilise the sanctioned funds appropriately. The issue is particularly widespread in rural areas, where approximately 1,450 beneficiaries across tehsils such as Koraon, Meja, Karchhana, Bara, Phulpur, and Handia failed to initiate construction despite receiving all installments of government aid. In most cases, the homes did not progress beyond the foundation stage, with some plots not even undergoing excavation. To address this issue, the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA) is preparing to send a formal report to the concerned tehsils for the issuance of Recovery Certificates (RCs) against urban defaulters. DUDA is also working on similar documentation for rural areas to take further action. Chief development officer Harshika Singh emphasised that beneficiaries who receive financial aid under the PMAY must ensure the funds are used strictly for home construction. Those who ignored three notices and failed to show progress in construction will now face strict recovery action. This crackdown is part of a broader move to enforce accountability and ensure that govt schemes reach genuine beneficiaries who intend to utilise the support for their intended purpose, say officials of the district administration.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Prayagraj admin cracks down on 2,000 PMAY defaulters
Prayagraj: The Prayagraj district administration has launched recovery proceedings against over 2,000 beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) who received funds but failed to construct their houses. After sending notices, the administration is now preparing to issue Recovery Certificates (RCs) from the respective tehsils to reclaim the misused public funds. A total of 1,507 rural beneficiaries under PMAY-Gramin and 504 urban beneficiaries under PMAY-Urban did not complete their homes despite receiving government assistance. Notably, nearly 470 individuals in the urban sector received financial aid almost six years ago but have yet to build their houses, despite receiving all instalments. Of these, more than 400 beneficiaries did not even lay the foundation for their houses. Another 100 managed to build only partial structures such as incomplete walls. Urban areas such as Jhalwa, Dhoomanganj, Salori, Baghara, Rajapur, Kareli and Rajrooppur have the highest concentration of defaulters. Similarly, beneficiaries from towns like Sirsa, Bharatganj, Koraon, Shankargarh, Handia, Phulpur, Mauaima and Lal Gopalganj also failed to utilise the sanctioned funds appropriately. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Resort com tudo incluído na Bahia Palladium Hotel Group Undo The issue is particularly widespread in rural areas, where approximately 1,450 beneficiaries across tehsils such as Koraon, Meja, Karchhana, Bara, Phulpur, and Handia failed to initiate construction despite receiving all installments of government aid. In most cases, the homes did not progress beyond the foundation stage, with some plots not even undergoing excavation. To address this issue, the District Urban Development Agency (DUDA) is preparing to send a formal report to the concerned tehsils for the issuance of Recovery Certificates (RCs) against urban defaulters. DUDA is also working on similar documentation for rural areas to take further action. Chief development officer Harshika Singh emphasised that beneficiaries who receive financial aid under the PMAY must ensure the funds are used strictly for home construction. Those who ignored three notices and failed to show progress in construction will now face strict recovery action. This crackdown is part of a broader move to enforce accountability and ensure that govt schemes reach genuine beneficiaries who intend to utilise the support for their intended purpose, say officials of the district administration.
Hindustan Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
28,000 BPL families missing out on govt aid in Prayagraj
A total of 28,365 families, who are below the poverty line (BPL), in the district are not guarded by the benefits of government-run health, welfare, food security or pension schemes, according to official data. This information came to light after the district administration undertook a survey in the wake of the state government implementing its 'zero poverty' scheme, said district officials, adding they aimed at including the maximum number of people as beneficiaries of such programmes. They said in Prayagraj district, the number of households with ration cards and Antyodaya ration cards, at present, stood at 9.34 lakh (benefiting 40 lakh people) and 86,590 (benefiting 2.61 lakh people), respectively. The Zero Poverty Uttar Pradesh Campaign, also known as the Zero Poverty Program, is an initiative by the state government to eliminate extreme poverty in the state within a year. The programme, launched on October 2 last year, aims to identify and support extremely poor families through direct benefit transfers (DBTs) and livelihood support, with the goal being to increase the annual income of such families to a minimum of ₹1.25 lakh. 'The district panchayat Raj officer (DPRO) and district development officer (DDO) have conducted a survey at their level to identify eligible beneficiaries... All found eligible will get the benefits,' said district magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar. 12k eligible for housing, 3.8k for pension The district officials said they had 25,015 new applications for a government housing scheme alone and, out of them, 12,308 people were found to be eligible. Similarly, 3,870 people were found to be eligible for a government pension scheme and more than 2,000 for ration cards under Kisan Samman Nidhi initiative, they added. They said for the survey teams of block development officers (BDOs) and lekhpals were deployed in development blocks. Overall, the exercise, which went on for about a month, saw the participation of about 400 officials. 'The survey work under the Zero Poverty scheme has been completed. The final list is being prepared. Every eligible person is being made to apply for welfare schemes,' said Harshika Singh, the chief development officer (CDO).
