Shahjahanpur – District Magistrate Dharmendra Pratap Singh
visited the historic Kachhua Talab*at Paharua Kalan village in Mirzapur block to review plans for its conservation and development.
During the inspection, officials discussed a detailed action plan for the protection, beautification and restoration of the pond, which is known for its turtle habitat. The District Magistrate directed concerned departments to remove encroachments, improve drainage by connecting local drains to a larger channel, construct a pathway around the pond and adopt nature-based solutions to develop the site as a model biodiversity conservation area.

He stressed the importance of tree plantation, cleanliness and protection of the natural habitat. Priyanshu Raghuvanshi described the pond as an important religious, cultural and historical heritage site and called for public participation in its conservation. He thanked the district administration for its efforts to revive the pond.

District Magistrate highlighted the religious and ecological importance of turtles. He said that extensive cleanliness and voluntary labour campaigns carried out in recent days had helped restore the pond’s original appearance. He added that the site would be further developed and made more attractive within the next two months.

The District Magistrate appealed to villagers, youth and social organisations to turn the conservation drive into a public movement.

Several young volunteers, including Prem Saran Sharma, Rishi Singh, Devsaran Sharma, Dharmendra Singh, Ranjeet, Ajay Sharma, Badan Singh and Surjan Singh, were honoured with the Kachhua Mitra Samman for their contribution to cleanliness and conservation efforts.

On the occasion, Priyanshu Raghuvanshi and Lok Bharti Metropolitan Coordinator Alok Mishra were presented with mementoes of Lord Vishnu’s Kurma Avatar in recognition of their support. Senior educationist Brij Kishore Sharma also presented a souvenir to the District Magistrate and expressed gratitude for the development and conservation initiatives.

Participants, including social workers, local residents and representatives of various organisations, took a pledge to protect the environment.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Sukhveer Singh, Tehsildar Srijat Kumar, Range Forest Officer Vishal Rawat, Block Development Officer Dharmesh Chandra and other officials were present at the programme. The event was conducted by District Project Officer Dr Vinay Kumar Saxena.
Were present.