Madhya Pradesh to launch river revival campaign

BHOPAL - Midhasan river in Madhya Pradesh’s Panna district will get a new lease of life as a campaign for reviving dying rivers in the state begins Friday, an official statement said Thursday.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will launch the Jalabhishek Abhiyan campaign by laying the foundation stone for structures required to sustain the river, the statement said. The 81.5-km Midhasan, a tributary of the Ken, originates from the district’s Mutva village and meets the Ken near Pandavan village.

As part of the action plan chalked out for Midhasan, 24 km of the river’s course will be de-silted and 214 sq km of its catchment area treated.

According to the three-year action plan, digging of contour trenches and construction of boulder checks, field embankments and check dams will be taken up in hilly areas. Digging of ponds, reviving dried-up tanks, and development of pasture and plantation will also be undertaken.

As many as 14,750 hectares will be readied for agriculture. At present, 7,611 hectares in Midhasan’s catchment remain un-irrigated due to which farmers are not getting an expected yield.