Relevance for Banking, SSC & RBI Grade B exams: Polity & Governance

A ground report from *Amar Ujala* has exposed the dismal implementation of Uttar Pradesh’s ‘One District-One River’ scheme, particularly in Sitapur’s Sarayan River. On 5 June 2025—World Environment Day—the state’s ministers planted saplings under the scheme, pledging to clean the river and curb plastic pollution. However, a year later, no trace of the planted saplings remains at the designated site near the Kainchi Bridge, while untreated sewage continues to flow into the river and open defecation persists along its banks. Experts and local officials attribute the failure to administrative neglect, encroachments, industrial effluents, and the absence of sewage treatment plants (STPs) in the city, despite claims of mass plantation drives.

This case highlights critical gaps in India’s flagship river conservation initiatives, such as the Namami Gange Programme, where symbolic gestures often overshadow ground-level execution. For banking and SSC aspirants, such reports underscore the importance of understanding governance challenges, including fund utilization, inter-departmental coordination, and the role of NGOs in public welfare schemes. RBI Grade B candidates must analyze how such lapses impact environmental sustainability, economic costs (e.g., healthcare from polluted water), and financial allocations for clean-up projects. The episode also reflects broader themes of policy implementation failures, which are frequently tested in exams through case studies on flagship schemes.

Source: amarujala.com

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