The Ministry of Jal Shakti in partnership with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has recently launched the River Cities Alliance (RCA). This novel initiative serves as a committed platform specifically designed for river cities across India to brainstorm, discuss, and share knowledge pertinent to the sustainable management of urban rivers.
About the River Cities Alliance
The focal point of the Alliance is on three wider themes – Networking, Capacity Building, and Technical Support. Initially, the Alliance started off concentrating on Ganga basin cities; however, its scope was later broadened to include cities beyond this basin. A multitude of cities are participating in the River Cities Alliance, some noteworthy mentions include Dehradun, Haridwar, Rishikesh, Patna, Howrah, Kanpur, Varanasi, Chennai, Pune, and Vijayawada among others. The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and National Institute for Urban Affairs (NIUA) have pooled their resources together to launch the RCA.
Objectives of the Alliance
The core objectives revolve around giving member cities a robust platform to converse and swap key information essential for the sustainable management of urban rivers. It aims at working towards adopting and localizing national policies and instruments that have significant river-related directions. Moreover, the Alliance seeks to prepare city-specific urban river management plans and develop respective sectoral strategies imperative for the sustainable management of urban rivers.
Significance of the Initiative
The RCA will empower cities to learn from each other’s triumphs and drawbacks while also encouraging public engagement with the rivers. It presents cities with opportunities to fortify governance aspects for river cities, enhance their liveability to attract external economic investments, gain access to top-notch knowledge and frameworks, and serve as a site for unique demonstration projects.
Suggestions for Improvement
Cities need to shoulder the responsibility of rejuvenating their rivers, not just with a regulatory approach but also with a developmental and facilitatory perspective. There’s a demand for a framework that integrates the Urban Built Form, including landscape and urban water cycle. Since cities have been primarily held accountable for the diminished condition of rivers, it is essential for them to play a notable part in the rejuvenation efforts.
Related Initiatives
Several related initiatives have been launched, including the Namami Gange Programme, an integrated conservation mission focusing on effective abatement of pollution and conservation of National River Ganga. The Ganga Action Plan was the first River Action Plan initiated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in 1985 to boost water quality. The National River Ganga Basin Authority (NRGBA) was formed in 2009 under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and the Clean Ganga Fund came into existence in 2014 to clean up the Ganga, establish waste treatment plants, and conserve the river’s biotic diversity. To involve the public in monitoring pollution entering the river Ganga, the Bhuvan-Ganga Web App was created. Additionally, in 2017, the National Green Tribunal prohibited the disposal of any waste in the Ganga.