New Delhi: In a move towards river-centric urban planning, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) in collaboration with the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) has completed Urban River Management Plans (URMPs) for 13 cities across different states.
According to the Union Jal Shakti Ministry, URMPs are being prepared for 27 cities under Phase-I and 33 additional cities under Phase-II, taking the overall coverage to 60 cities across the Ganga basin. Supported under the Namami Gange Programme, the initiative represents one of the world’s largest coordinated efforts to integrate river health with urban planning.During the National Ganga Council meeting in Kanpur in December 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had called for a shift from city centric development to a river centric approach that places rivers at the heart of urban planning and civic life.A goverment spokesperson said that initiatives are being undertaken across Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, where locally tailored strategies are being developed for ecological restoration, pollution abatement, flood resilience, cultural heritage conservation, eco-tourism and citizen participation.
“At its core, the URMP framework addresses urban river management across three key pillars — environmental, economic and social. Its comprehensive 10-point agenda includes floodplain regulation, pollution abatement, rejuvenation of wetlands and water bodies, enhancement of riparian buffers, reuse of treated water, eco-sensitive riverfront development, ensuring quality return flows, economic utilization of river resources and sustained citizen engagement,” the spokesperson added.
