'Under pressure' Yogi govt applies brakes on bulldozers to develop Kukrail riverfront

New Delhi: Facing criticism from allies, BJP workers and people, UP CM Yogi Adityanath has announced that no houses will be demolished to develop the Kukrail riverfront in Lucknow. Last Thursday, officials from the irrigation department visited five to six colonies in the city and red-flagged around 1,000 houses in the 2 km area, terming them as illegal construction. These houses were supposed to be demolished for the development of the proposed riverfront.

"Be it Pantnagar or Indraprastha Nagar in Lucknow, the safety and satisfaction of every resident here is our responsibility. Families affected by the Kukrail river revival project should rest assured. There was no justification for marking private houses. Those who did this will be held accountable," the CM posted on X.

He assured that no new construction will be done in future within the flood plain zone without the permission of National Mission for Clean Ganga. "If there is any building construction on private land in the riverbed and the owners have documents certifying the ownership, it will be acquired only after giving adequate compensation," he said. A day earlier Nishad Party leader and minister Sanjay Nishad had raised concern over the bulldozer action by the government. Nishad said bulldozers should be used against criminals and not against the poor living in their houses with proper registration and papers. He also said if the government bulldozes the poor, they will bulldoze the government.