Preparation of Urban River Management Plans for 60 cities in the Ganga River Basin
Resource Partners: National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) , World Bank
Partners: LEA Associates South Asia Private Limited (LASA)
Duration: September 2023 - September 2025
About
On 10 December 2019, during the National Ganga Council Meeting in Kanpur, the Hon’ble Prime Minister emphasized the need to adopt new thinking in river cities, one with a facilitatory outlook rather than a regulatory approach. In the 5th meeting of the Empowered Task Force on River Ganga in February 2020, NIUA and the Town and Country Planning Organisation (TCPO) were directed to provide suggestions on holistic river-centric planning. Accordingly, the Urban River Management Plan (URMP) framework was conceived of and launched on 4th November 2020 by NIUA in partnership with the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG). The framework is a general template for river cities to prepare their city-specific river management plans taking into account the ecological and socio-economic significance of rivers. URMPs have since been formulated by Kanpur, Ayodhya, Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Bareilly, and Moradabad.
With support from the World Bank, 60 additional cities within the Ganga Basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand will now prepare their URMPs. From the hill cities of Uttarakhand to the impact of rapid Industrialization on the rivers of Bihar and Jharkhand, this project will be focussing on a multitude of verticals - all aimed to strengthen urban river management in India. Over its duration, this project will focus on preparing the URMPs in partnership with the identified 60 Ganga Basin cities. In the first phase, 25 cities will be targeted (5-each from the 5 Ganga Basin States), while the remaining 35 cities will be taken up in the subsequent phase.
60
Cities in the Ganga Basin states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand are being covered under the project
3 million +
People will be directly impacted in the first phase alone, which implements the project in 25 chosen cities
18
Tributaries of the Ganga River will be impacted in the first phase of the project
Events
URMP Steering Committee Meeting: Uttar Pradesh
Delhi
October 2024 - October 2024
<p dir="ltr">Urban river management in Uttar Pradesh is undergoing a transformative shift, with 5 cities set to prioritize river-centric development. Chaired by Mr. Rajeev Kumar Mital, Director General, NMCG, and Dr. Raj Shekhar, Programme Director, SMCG, Uttar Pradesh, the URMP Steering Committee Meeting focussed on the five URMP cities of Mathura-Vrindavan, Shahjahapur, Mirzapur, Bijnor, and Gorakhpur. </p><p dir="ltr">The meeting highlighted the need for city-specific strategies that integrate ecological, geographic, cultural, and religious significance. Key recommendations included appointing two nodal officers per city for effective implementation, strengthening coordination between District Ganga Committees and MSWGs, and prioritizing river-sensitive planning in cities. Upon the launch of the Prayagraj URMP, Uttar Pradesh will be leading the way towards embedding sustainable river management as a core principle of urban development.</p>
URMP Steering Committee Meeting: West Bengal
Delhi
November 2024 - November 2024
<p>The URMP Steering Committee Meeting for West Bengal was chaired by Sh. Rajeev Kumar Mital, Director General, NMCG, and Ms. Nandini Ghosh, Programme Director, SPMG, and the Special Secretary, UDD, West Bengal. The meeting brought together officials from the five URMP cities of West Bengal—Siliguri, Durgapur, Asansol, Howrah, and Nabadwip. Discussions focused on the integrated approach of URMPs, and the preparatory activities underway in the five cities. Emphasizing the unique geographic and cultural contexts of these towns, the Committee recommended dedicated and context-specific support. The importance of regional academic institutions such as Jadavpur University was also underscored for their contributions as local experts and in knowledge-building. City officials committed to nominating nodal officers and extending their full support for URMP preparation.</p>
URMP Steering Committee Meeting: Bihar
Patna
December 2024 - December 2024
<p dir="ltr">Chaired by the Director General, NMCG, Mr. Rajeev Kumar Mital, and Sh. Abhay Kumar Singh, IAS, PD-SPMG Bihar & Secretary UDHD, the URMP Steering Committee Meeting focussed on the very unique contexts of the five URMP cities - Chapra, Gaya, Munger, Buxar and Bhagalpur. The meeting emphasized the unique geographic, socio-economic, and cultural contexts of the five URMP cities, underscoring their historical and socio-cultural significance. He highlighted the state’s aspirations for tourism development, STPs, and river rejuvenation, suggesting customization of the USC for Bihar by incorporating additional key stakeholders. </p><p>City representatives were given the opportunity to share their diverse aspirations. Buxar aims to rejuvenate Ram Rekha Ghat and utilize <em>pokhars</em> for public spaces; Gaya is implementing a INR 250 crore riverfront development project near Vishnu Padh Temple along the religiously significant 10 km stretch of the Falgu River; Bhagalpur seeks <em>ghat</em> development in the flood-prone Nath Nagar, home to the historic Budha Nath Temple; Munger is developing a Dolphin Observatory and other amenities around the unique Ganga Temple, with a focus on yoga tourism; and Chapra aspires to boost tourism through open public spaces and <em>ghat</em> rejuvenation.</p>
URMP Steering Committee and Orientation Meeting: Uttarakhand
Dehradun
February 2025 - February 2025
<p>Chaired by the Director General, NMCG, Mr. Rajeev Kumar Mital, and Secretary, Urban Development Department, Uttarakhand, Mr. Nitesh Kumar Jha, the Uttarakhand USC meeting underscored the need for action-oriented URMPs tailored to address the unique challenges of Uttarakhand’s river cities. From managing high floating tourist populations to tackling depleting groundwater and waste management, the discussions emphasized the importance of integrating URMP deliverables into existing city plans. The necessity of a strategic, city-specific vision, with 10–15 prioritized interventions sensitive to local economies and communities, was additionally highlighted. A state-level committee was recommended to ensure effective coordination and long-term implementation, reinforcing Uttarakhand’s commitment to sustainable urban river management.</p>
I encourage all river cities in the Ganga River Basin to make full use of [the Urban River Management Plan] framework to scale up river-sensitive development. Rest assured, this will benefit the cities more than anyone else. A river is, unquestionably, among a city’s greatest natural assets. Let us start by treating it as one.
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