Bijnor Farmers Rally Against Proposed Ganga Expressway Route, Submit Memorandum to District Magistrate
In a significant development in Uttar Pradesh's infrastructure planning, farmers and village heads from Bijnor district have formally submitted a memorandum to the District Magistrate, addressed to the Chief Minister, demanding an urgent revision to the proposed alignment of the Ganga Expressway. This major expressway project is designed to connect western Uttar Pradesh with the holy city of Haridwar and is currently undergoing extensive survey work across multiple villages within the district.
Survey Areas and Villages Impacted by Current Alignment
The ongoing survey for the Ganga Expressway encompasses numerous villages that are now at the center of this growing controversy. According to the detailed memorandum presented by the farming community, the current proposed route affects villages including:
- Peda
- Mirzapur Puran
- Mohammadpur Nauabad
- Ismailpur
- Nangli
- Chaukpuri
- Nasiri
- Kachhpura
- Nayagaon
- Alipur Makhan
- Gajraula Achpal
Residents of these agricultural communities have expressed profound concern that the acquisition of their fertile agricultural land for this massive infrastructure project would directly threaten the livelihoods of thousands of marginal farmers who depend on this land for their survival.
Alternative Route Proposal to Protect Agricultural Land
The protesting farmers have proposed a comprehensive alternative alignment that they argue would better serve both development goals and agricultural preservation. They are urging authorities to reroute the expressway closer to the Ganga river, where they claim hundreds of hectares of government-owned land could be utilized instead of acquiring expensive private farmland.
The proposed alternative route would pass through:
- Daranagar Ganj
- Jahanabad
- Connect Balawali and Nangalsoti
- Finally link to Haridwar
Farmers argue that this river-aligned path would not only preserve precious agricultural land but would also provide substantial relief to flood-affected communities in the region. They emphasize that this approach aligns perfectly with government policies aimed at protecting cultivable land from unnecessary acquisition for infrastructure projects.
Potential Consequences of Current Alignment
The memorandum delivered to district authorities contains a stark warning about the potential consequences of proceeding with the current expressway alignment. Farmers claim that failure to change the proposed route could result in the destruction of thousands of hectares of fertile agricultural land, potentially leaving numerous farming families completely landless and without means of livelihood.
"This isn't just about land acquisition," explained one representative. "This is about preserving the agricultural heritage of our region and protecting the livelihoods of generations of farmers who have cultivated this land for centuries."
Political Representation and Community Leadership
The memorandum was formally submitted by a coalition of community representatives, including district president Rajendra Singh of the Rashtriya Lok Dal Kisan Morcha, along with numerous village heads from the affected areas. This unified front demonstrates the broad community support for revising the expressway alignment to better balance infrastructure development with agricultural preservation.
The farmers' movement emphasizes that their proposed alternative route represents a win-win solution that would allow the Ganga Expressway project to proceed while minimizing the negative impact on agricultural communities and preserving the fertile land that sustains the region's economy and food security.
