Lucknow: The Yogi government in Uttar Pradesh is making major changes to make flood control and management more effective. The government is adopting new methods in place of traditional flood control techniques,
which will save crores of rupees. At the same time, repeated acquisition of farmers’ land for flood control measures will no longer be required.
The state government has secured around 40.72 lakh hectares of land in flood-affected districts through new methods, benefiting more than 3 crore people. Following this, preparations are underway to expand these new flood control methods further.
Until now, flood control and management mainly focused on constructing massive stone embankments, gabion walls (stone walls enclosed in iron wire mesh boxes), large dams and embankments. Under the new approach, attention is being given in several sensitive areas to desilting rivers and major drains and removing sludge. This is being done to increase the water-carrying capacity of river channels and bends.
This new method was adopted under the flood protection project in Lakhimpur Kheri. Engineers increased the river’s carrying capacity through desilting work, which cost only Rs 22 crore. Earlier, flood control preparations at the same location were estimated to cost Rs 180 crore.
Similarly, around Elgin Bridge in Barabanki and in the Saryu region, the new method incurred an expenditure of only Rs 5 crore, whereas earlier estimates through other measures stood at Rs 115 crore.
In this sequence, departments associated with flood control, along with engineers, brought major changes in several stretches of the Ghaghara, Sharda and Suheli rivers. Desilting work was carried out across stretches ranging from approximately 9 to 16 kilometres in these rivers, thereby increasing their capacity.
Through this model, the acquisition of agricultural land in flood-affected districts for constructing embankments and earthen dams every monsoon season will reduce, directly benefiting farmers.
Under the Yogi government, around 1,665 flood control projects have been completed over the past more than 8 years. In addition, desilting has been carried out in 60 rivers and several canals have also been constructed so far.
Under the new flood control model in the year 2026, high-risk rivers and drains will be monitored through drones and sensor-based systems. Alongside this, the desilting process will be given priority.
The Yogi government is also trying to reduce expenditures incurred so far on works such as spurs (placing large stones along riverbanks), geo bags (large sand-filled bags), repair of old structures, replacement of stones and emergency strengthening works through these new methods.
Although the traditional methods will not be discontinued altogether at once, alternatives to them are being explored.
