Committee of National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) approves project for preparation of URMPs for 60 cities. Project is part of River-Cities Alliance (RCA) under Namami Gange.
RCA, started in 2021, is a joint initiative of Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) & Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) with a vision to connect river cities and focus on sustainable river centric development. Project will work in two phases. First phase would cover 25 cities from 5 main stem Ganga basin states i.e., Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.
Main stem is the principal channel of a drainage system into which other smaller streams or rivers flow. It will be funded by World Bank.
Need for Urban River Management:
Ensure effective regulations of activities in the floodplain.
Water pollution from sources like sewage draining and grey water, erosion due to deforestation etc.
Lack of specific land-use category or legislation defining 'River Regulation/Riparian Zone'.
Religious practices such as mass bathing, idol immersion, cremation etc
Interventions by URMPs:
Inculcating river-sensitive behaviour among citizens.
Develop eco-friendly riverfront projects.
Rejuvenate waterbodies and wetlands in the city.
Ensure maximum good quality return flow from the city into the river.
Leverage on economic potential of the river.
