Lucknow, Oct. 5 -- Expressing concern over the growing water crisis, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday directed officials to turn the construction and restoration of check dams, ponds and blast coups (wells) into a mass movement on the lines of the "Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam" campaign.

Presiding over a meeting convened to review work of the Namami Gange and rural water supply (minor irrigation) departments, Adityanath said such structures are a national necessity, offering cost-effective water conservation and groundwater recharge compared to large dams, according to a press release.

He also said 6,448 check dams have been built across seasonal rivers and streams, creating irrigation potential for 1.28 lakh hectares and recharging ove...