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UP wants Ghaghra stretch renamed as Saryu, will send proposal to Centre
The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Monday approved a proposal to change the name of the Ghaghra river to Saryu in the revenue records for the river’s stretch flowing from
The Uttar Pradesh cabinet on Monday approved a proposal to change the name of the Ghaghra river to Saryu in the revenue records for the river’s stretch flowing from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh to Rewalganj in Bihar.
The proposal will now be sent to the Centre as rivers are mentioned on serial number 56 of the Union list of the constitution. The Ghaghra stretch in question flows from Chandapur Kitauli village in Paska Sakur area of Gonda in UP to Rewalganj (Bihar).
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath presided over a meeting of the state cabinet that approved the proposal.
“Yes, the state cabinet has taken a decision on the issue. Ghaghra will remain Ghaghra. But the lower Ghaghra that flows to Ayodhya from Gonda is Saryu. So, the state government will send a proposal to the Centre to change its name,” said UP government minister and spokesman Sidharth Nath Singh.
A demand to change the name of Ghaghra as Saryu in the revenue records has been made over the years in view of religious sentiments of the people living in districts on the course of river. The river is known as Ghaghra till it reaches Ayodhya where it is known as Saryu.
In August 2016, the then irrigation minister Shivpal Singh Yadav too had asked the state irrigation department to change the name of Ghaghra river to Saryu in the department’s records.
In Nepal, Ghaghra is known as Karnali. It enters Uttar Pradesh near Katiaghat after flowing through the Royal Bardia National Park (Nepal), according to an official.
Since ancient times, Ghaghra was known as Saryu, an Ayodhya-based priest said.
The Yogi Adityanath government has already changed the names of many cities and districts.
These include Allahabad as Prayagraj, Faizabad as Ayodhya and Mughalsarai as Deen Dayal Upadhya Nagar.
