111 Villages Clean 89 Km of India's Tamsa River

The Tamsa River once flowed freely through eastern Uttar Pradesh, threading through fields and connecting communities with its steady current. But years of neglect left it choked with silt, littered with plastic waste, and squeezed by illegal encroachments that slowly stole its breathing room.

In February 2026, something changed. Under the Namami Gange Programme, 111 gram panchayats in Azamgarh district decided the river deserved better.

The campaign covered 89 kilometers of river and required more than good intentions. Village councils organized planning meetings, coordinated labor, and mobilized thousands of residents who saw the river not as someone else's problem but as their shared responsibility.

Teams desilted shallow stretches so water could move freely again. Volunteers hauled away mountains of plastic, polythene, and household waste that had accumulated along the banks. Workers cleared illegal encroachments and planted fruit-bearing trees on vacant land, creating both green cover and future income for villages.

The real power came from participation. Schoolchildren, youth groups, women's self-help organizations, and everyday residents joined cleanup drives through shramdaan, the traditional practice of voluntary community labor. Sanitation workers installed dustbins at key points while families learned to separate wet and dry waste before it reached the river.

The Tamsa flows into the Ganga, making its health vital to the larger river system. The convergence with MGNREGA brought structure and workers to ground-level efforts, strengthening the desilting and plantation work.

The Ripple Effect

The changes spread beyond cleaner banks. Water quality improved as pollutants decreased and the river's natural flow returned. Biodiversity began recovering in stretches that had seemed lifeless. Nearby farms reported better soil fertility and more reliable irrigation, directly impacting livelihoods.

At religious and cultural sites along the river, devotees now find organized, welcoming spaces instead of trash-strewn banks. The transformation is visible, measurable, and growing.

The Tamsa restoration offers proof that rivers can heal when communities choose collective action over finger-pointing. Across 111 villages, that choice has rewritten the river's story and created a blueprint other regions can follow.