NMCG approved Action Plan 2025 to enhance urban river rejuvenation under the River Cities Alliance (RCA).
About RCA
- Joint initiative of Ministry of Jal Shakti & Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
- Comprises 145 cities working towards river-sensitive urban planning.
Key Focus Areas of Action Plan 2025
Urban River Management Plans (URMPs)
- Integrate environmental, social & economic aspects in river planning.
- Developed by NIUA and NMCG (2020).
- Cities with URMPs: Kanpur, Ayodhya, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, etc.
- Kham River Restoration (Sambhaji Nagar) won global acclaim.
Expansion & Targets
- 25 more URMPs in 2025; target of 60 URMPs in 2–3 years.
- Supported by World Bank, state-level Steering Committees
Special Focus: Delhi
- NMCG to create URMP for Delhi to treat rivers as ecosystems, not drains.
Capacity Building & Awareness
- Events like DHARA, exposure visits, and river sensitisation
- Promote river-conscious behaviour at community level.
Governance & Technical Support
- Formation of Thematic Expert Groups.
- Encourage multi-level coordination (basin, district, city).
Showcasing & Engagement
- Weekly best practices, new RCA website for outreach.
- Participation at World Economic Forum (Davos, Feb 2025).
Financial Support
- Cities to get financial advisory services.
- Benchmarking for performance under URMP framework
What is (National Mission for Clean Ganga) NMCG?
- Established: Registered as a society on 12th August 2011 under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
- Objective: Rejuvenation and protection of River Ganga and its tributaries.
Legal and Institutional Framework
- Originally the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- After NGRBA’s dissolution in 2016, NMCG became the key executing agency under the National Ganga Council (NGC).
About the National Ganga Council (NGC)
- Chaired by: Prime Minister of India.
- Role: Apex body to ensure:
- Continuous and adequate flow of Ganga.
- Pollution control and abatement.
- Holistic rejuvenation of the river.
Management Structure of NMCG
- Operates through a two-tier management system:
- Governing Council: Provides strategic direction and policy oversight.
- Executive Committee: Approves projects up to ₹1,000 crore.
Five-Tier Framework under EPA, 1986
To ensure integrated and multi-level coordination for river rejuvenation:
- National Ganga Council (NGC) – Apex policy-making body, chaired by the Prime Minister.
- Empowered Task Force (ETF) – Operational oversight body, chaired by the Union Jal Shakti Minister.
- National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) – Central implementation agency for Ganga rejuvenation projects.
- State Ganga Committees – State-level bodies responsible for action in respective jurisdictions.
- District Ganga Committees – Ground-level entities focusing on local implementation and monitoring.
Major Focus Areas of NMCG
- Pollution abatement, especially from municipal sewage and industrial effluents.
- Riverfront development, afforestation, and biodiversity conservation.
- Promotion of public participation (Jan Andolan) and awareness campaigns.
- Use of modern tools like GIS, real-time monitoring, and STP performance tracking.
