Rawat inaugurates project to revive Rispana

Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday inaugurated a project aimed to revive the Rispana at Shikhar fall, one the originating points of the river at Rajpur near Dehradun

Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat on Monday inaugurated a project aimed to revive the Rispana at Shikhar fall, one the originating points of the river at Rajpur near Dehradun.

Chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat performs rituals at Sikhar Fall, believed to be the origin of Rispana river. (HT Photo)

Rawat said the government had resolved to revive the Rispana and the Kosi. “The level of water receding in the rivers is a cause of concern, which prompted the government to launch the campaign to revive them,” an official note quoted the chief minister as saying.

Almora district magistrate Eva Ashish Srivastava inaugurated the project aimed to revive the Kosi which originates from the district. The DM said the institutes such as GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development were actively pitching in to revive the Koshi. “The campaign for revival of the river Kosi will be carried out at a large scale,” she said, noting that the stream was a lifeline for about 190 villages and 350 villages.

Meanwhile, student activist group ‘Making a Difference by Being the Difference’ welcomed the government’s initiative to rejuvenate the Rispana. “It is a matter of satisfaction that after six years of persuasion the state government has finally shown some interest in the rejuvenation of the river,” a note issued by the social group reads.