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Forests, pathways to come up along Kukrail river
The development work will be jointly executed by Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC).
Civic agencies here have been asked to develop pathways and forests on both sides of the Kukrail river, officials said. The move aims to not only beautify the area and curb encroachment, but also improve the city’s ecological balance.
District magistrate Vishakh G, who on Friday inspected the under-construction Saumitra Van on Ayodhya Road, issued instructions to this effect. The development work will be executed jointly by Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) and Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC).
During his inspection, the DM ordered that protective casings be installed on both riverbanks before constructing pathways. He also instructed officials to ensure coordinated execution between departments to maintain uniformity across both sides of the Kukrail River.
LDA vice-chairman Prathamesh Kumar said 24.7 acres of freed land along the Kukrail river was now being transformed. Of this, around 14 acres are being developed into Saumitra van, which includes green zones, lawns, a children’s play area, and multiple walking paths. Underground pipelines with pop-up sprinklers have been laid for permanent irrigation, and high mast and façade lights are being installed to enhance aesthetics.
The beautification plan also includes horticulture, theme-based plantation of medicinal and food forests, landscaping, and lighting installations. The DM directed LDA to begin boulder/stone pitching along the riverbank to prevent erosion and further encroachment.
Later, the DM inspected sites at Jehta and Kakarabad to review the condition and revival plan of the Behta River. He instructed the irrigation department to conduct a cross-section survey of the river across every gram panchayat. The survey will help determine the river’s width, depth, and natural flow, which will aid in proper mapping and identification of illegal encroachments.
He stressed the importance of restoring the 81-kilometre Behta River stretch in Lucknow and ordered the construction of check dams, water harvesting tanks, and recharge zones.
Along with the LDA vice-chairman, DFO Sitashu Pandey, chief development officer Ajay Jain, DC MNREGA, Block Development Officer and SDM Malihabad, LDA chief engineer Navneet Sharma, executive engineer Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, and other officials were also present during the DM’s inspection.
