Key Takeaways:

• Allegations of land mafias selling river land, threatening waterways
• Nearly 30 bighas of Triyuga River land allegedly transferred to private ownership
• Hattimara River near Gaighat Bazaar has 'virtually disappeared' due to encroachment

UDAYAPUR, JULY 22 A youth-led campaign seeking the protection of public river lands and the removal of encroachments on the Hattimara and Triyuga rivers submitted a seven-point memorandum to the Chief District Officer (CDO) of Udayapur on Monday. A delegation from the Hattimara River Conservation Campaign, led by activist Rahul Yadav, handed over the memorandum to CDO Mekh Bahadur Magrati, urging authorities to protect public land along the two rivers, remove illegal settlements and safeguard natural resources. The campaigners alleged that riverbanks and public land along the Hattimara and Triyuga rivers have been encroached upon in recent years, with land mafias reportedly selling river land and threatening the existence of the waterways. They demanded legal action against those involved and the removal of settlements established on encroached areas. Yadav said the group has been running a conservation campaign since September 2022 to identify and reclaim river land through local governments and the district administration but claimed that their efforts had received little support from the concerned authorities. He said the campaign has been revived following the government's recent initiatives to recover encroached public land and river corridors through local and district administrations. According to Yadav, the CDO assured the delegation that their concerns would be addressed. Local residents say the Hattimara River, which once flowed through the southern part of Gaighat Bazaar, has virtually disappeared due to encroachment and unplanned settlements. Social activist Rabindra Kumar Chaudhary alleged that nearly 30 bighas of land belonging to the Triyuga River had been transferred into private ownership through fraudulent land registration processes and subsequently sold. The campaigners have called on authorities to take immediate measures to restore the rivers, reclaim public land and prevent further encroachment.