Amid mega revival plans, Kukrail’s origin still neglected
Work on the revival of Kukrail river (which shrank to a drain over the years), development of a riverfront and subsequent beautification project is going on full throttle in the city, but ironically its origin in Asti village in Bakshi Ka Talab is in a deplorable state, with shrinking water channels and encroachments proliferating .
ASTI: The Kukrail river, which had become a filthy nullah over the year due to encroachments, is poised for a grand revival, with chief minister Yogi Adityanath himself spearheading the project to restore it to its original form. The river’s revival started with a drive to raze sprawling encroachments in Akbar Nagar in December last year, clearing space for Saumitra forest in Kukrail. However, the river’s source from a pond in Asti village in Bakshi Ka Talab (BKT) still awaits attention.
The expected revival work appears to be more noise than substance, with little tangible progress at the village level. Officials have made visits, but no concrete steps have been taken. It is but natural that the focus should first be on Asti, it being the originating point of the river, yet firm action seems to be missing here.
During a visit to the place which is nearly 24 kms from the main city, an HT team found the condition of the area detoriationg and in much more neglected state than what the team had found in December last year. While the riverfront work is going on full throttle in the city, with 10,000 saplings planted in Akbar Nagar, the extremely slow work in Asti seems to be more noise than effort.
Pond choking with water hyacinth
The pond of Dashaur Baba from where the river originates is now full of water hyacinth . The water level has gone down making it stagnant. Worse still, there is garbage in the pond . “No maintenance of the pond has led to water hyacinth occupying the water body,” said Rajesh, a villager. “We saw a few officials visiting the place, but nothing has been done since then,” said another villager Yogender Pratap Singh.
As per a plaque near the pond, the size of the pond is about 2 acres. It falls under Amrit Sarovar scheme and was redeveloped during 2022-2023 as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.
Sachin Singh, another villager informed, “There are as many as seven ponds in this village which is the source of Kukrail river. Most of them are drying up.
“We have heard that development would begin from here, this might change the fate of this village and turn it into a tourist spot. However, we don’t know when that will happen,” said Singh.
The village also has a centuries old well, which according to the villagers, was also a source of Kukrail river which would recharge the ponds. However, it dried up decades back and is full of garbage. “We have heard from our forefathers that this mother well once had water and people would here come from different places to take a bath for treatment of rabies. Later, people started taking bath in the pond after the well dried up. Today, both the well and ponds in a bad state,” said Ram Murat Singh, 55, a villager.
Encroachments
HT also found multiple encroachments close to the pond with multiple new constructions which were not there when the team visited the village in December. “People who had vacant land here close to the pond have started making walls and boundaries to encroach the area thinking that they can claim the land,” said Aakash Singh, a student and a villager who lives close to the water body.
“Multiple houses were marked here like Akbar Nagar in a survey done in June, but no action was taken,” he added.
As per village Pradhan Vishnu Verma, a number of meetings were held and he participated in them of but nothing was done in the village.
What the plan says
“After the area of Kukrail river is vacated, now the river front will be developed here. Asti village near Bakshi Ka Talab is considered to be its origin, so it will be developed from there. Also, the area will be beautified by interlinking all the ponds there,” read a government press note.
Spanning 28 kilometres and surrounded by 27 ponds, the Kukrail River’s revival plans include a thorough overhaul to restore ecological balance and enhance overall health. The focus will also extend to the cleaning of ponds and wells in Asti village. Environmentalist Venkatesh Dutta emphasized the importance of marking the Sautal Lake area in the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for its renovation, supported by a remote sensing scientist’s survey.
Dutta, a professor in the School of Earth & Environmental Sciences (SEES) at Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar University (BBAU), said , “Out of the 27 ponds, 22 are planned for rejuvenation. The Sautal Lake, crucial for supplying the Kukrail river, will be reclaimed from agricultural use and land encroachment. The Rural Development Department will oversee this process.”
The project includes a pollution-free revitalization from Asti to the river’s confluence with the Gomti river. The Lucknow Development Authority has been tasked with preparing a DPR to guide these efforts, aiming to balance development with ecological preservation by ensuring minimal damage to surrounding flora.