Lucknow, Jun 14 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked officials to immediately remove encroachments on the banks of rivers and ponds.

He issued the instructions at a meeting on Thursday.

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"There are encroachments on the banks of Ramganga river in Moradabad. A similar situation can be seen in Kashi, Saharanpur and other districts," the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a post on X quoting Adityanath.

"At present, efforts are being made for the revival of the Kukrail river in Lucknow. Illegal settlements have been removed and (their residents have been) rehabilitated elsewhere. Similarly, work should be done in other districts as per local requirements," he said.

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The chief minister asked the officials to ensure there are no settlements in the river basin.

"Old ponds, ponds and other water bodies should be preserved. If there are any encroachments, they should be removed immediately," he said.

A drive to demolish illegal constructions in Akbarnagar I and II along the Kukrail river in Lucknow started on Monday.

The drive was launched following a court order for the demolition of 1,068 illegal residential and 101 commercial constructions in Akbarnagar I and II.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)