Soon, Gomti River Front work likely to start again

LUCKNOW : The ‘controversial’ Gomti River Front (GRF) project, an initiative of the former Samajwadi Party (SP) government to channelize river Gomti and beautify its banks, may start again soon. He said a tender of around ₹10 crore had been floated in this context.

LUCKNOW: The ‘controversial’ Gomti River Front (GRF) project, an initiative of the former Samajwadi Party (SP) government to channelize river Gomti and beautify its banks, may start again soon.

According to irrigation department officials, initially, the horticultural work will begin. Under this , a massive plantation drive would be carried out in around 307 acres of land, to add more greenery to the Gomti River Front. The area would also be developed in ‘colour block’ pattern.

“Plants that bear flowers of the same colour would be planted in one block. In the same way, many such colour blocks would be set up on the banks of river Gomti,” another senior irrigation department official said.

He said a tender of around ₹10 crore had been floated in this context.

RK Gupta, chief engineer, Sharda Sahayak, Irrigation, Lucknow said, “Plantation drive and other beautification work would be carried out by the horticulture department as the area has been handed over to the Lucknow Development Authority

(LDA).”

To note, GRF work came to a halt after the Yogi Government ordered inquiry into the project, citing financial irregularities. Besides, the government also recommended CBI probe into the more than Rs 1,500 crore project and lodged an FIR against the bureaucrats and many senior engineers engaged in the project.