Bareilly: A comprehensive review meeting of multiple district-level committees, including the District Environment Committee, District Plantation Committee and District Ganga Committee, was held under the chairmanship of District Magistrate Avinash Singh at the Collectorate auditorium.
During the meeting, officials reviewed issues related to forest land records under the district-level committee. It was highlighted that nearly 77 hectares of forest land in Khallpur Kapoorpur village of Faridpur tehsil is yet to be properly recorded in revenue documents. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Faridpur, was directed to conduct a joint inspection with revenue and forest officials and submit a report within seven days.
Under the wetland committee review, directions were issued to expedite the process of notifying Lilaur Lake in Aonla and Kakra Khurd wetland in Faridpur as protected sites, including their potential designation under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands framework. Officials were asked to promptly provide GIS-based data for further submission.
Reviewing environmental concerns, the District Magistrate directed strict action against buildings discharging untreated sewage into the Kila and Nakatia rivers. Verification of soak pits constructed after issuing notices was also ordered. The Municipal Corporation and Pollution Control Board were instructed to inspect industrial units in Parsakhera and C.B. Ganj areas to curb illegal discharge of industrial waste.
Urban local bodies were directed to identify all drains in their jurisdictions, classify them as tapped or untapped, and ensure that untreated wastewater is not released directly into rivers. Emphasis was also laid on proper disposal of legacy and solid waste.
The Executive Engineer of the Flood Control Division was instructed to widely publicize restrictions on construction in the Ramganga river floodplain and ensure regular monitoring. Public notices are to be issued in newspapers to prevent unauthorized construction in flood-prone zones.
In the District Ganga Committee review, officials were asked to promote organic farming along riverbanks and conduct awareness programmes in schools on river conservation, sanitation, and environmental protection. Cleanliness around sewage treatment plants (STPs) and their inlet-outlet points was also emphasized.
Regarding plantation targets for 2026, departments yet to submit their action plans were directed to do so within a week.
Senior district officials, including representatives from the Forest Department, Pollution Control Board, Municipal Corporation, education and agriculture departments, and other concerned officials, were present at the meeting.
Report by Akhilesh Chandra Saxena from Bareilly
