Lucknow, July 7 (IANS) Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav has criticised the Uttar Pradesh government over the deteriorating condition of rivers, closure of water treatment plants, and issues of displacement linked to development projects.
At a press conference here on Monday, Akhilesh Yadav alleged that water treatment plants across the state have been shut down, resulting in untreated sewage and drain water being directly discharged into rivers.
“Drain water and filth are being dumped into rivers without treatment. In Bundelkhand, rivers have been dug up so extensively that mounds of soil are now scattered along roadsides and farmlands in every district,” he said.
Referring to the displacement of residents in Akbar Nagar in Lucknow, Akhilesh Yadav accused the state government of neglecting their basic needs.
“People have lost their livelihoods. Many have even died by suicide. The government is planning to build a riverfront over a drain. When the SP government was in power, we were building a riverfront on the Varuna River — not over a drain — with efforts to ensure that only treated water flowed into it. The same was being done for the Gomti River. We must return to this model, where any sewage entering a river is treated and filtered beforehand. Only then will our rivers truly be clean,” he said.
Akhilesh Yadav also criticised the BJP-led government for displacing small traders in the name of development under the Mathura-Vrindavan Corridor project.
“The public will never forgive the BJP for what it is doing in Mathura-Vrindavan. People are being uprooted, small shopkeepers are being driven out, and big businessmen are being handed prime land. BJP’s friends are acquiring land at cheap rates only to sell it at a premium. They are turning faith into a commercial venture. When the SP returns to power, there will be a thorough inquiry into the compensation scam in Mathura,” he said.
Calling the alleged exploitation an affront to spiritual sentiments, Akhilesh added, “The abuses in Mathura are abuses of our faith. The true path is the path of Sanatan — not displacement in the name of devotion.”
The SP chief took a jibe at the state administration over how it handles the annual Kanwar Yatra. “Shopkeepers are harassed under the guise of checking. When the SP government is formed, we will build a proper corridor for Kanwariyas, and ensure that traders do not face unnecessary trouble,” he said.
He also hit out at the poor quality of construction in projects like the Gorakhpur Link Expressway and criticised the lack of coordination with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
“Nitin Gadkari is a capable minister. But the UP government isn’t even placing demands before him. Look at the Chambal Expressway — it’s still pending. Ironically, BJP rules all the states through which the expressway passes, yet they haven’t built the road that passes through Atal ji’s village,” he said.
–IANS
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