To study rejunevation of rivers and storm water management

Our vision is to scale up this inspiring body of work to develop a collective approach to river rejuvenation that focuses on addressing the needs of the entire eco-system. A multi-stakeholder approach provides a practical framework to integrate all these different pockets of development into a larger picture for maximizing their impact. In fulfillment of its agreement with the Government of India, a Consortium of 7 IITs (“Indian Institute of Technology”s) had prepared the Ganga River Basin Management Plan (GRBMP) and submitted it to the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), Ministry of Jal Shakti (then Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation), Government of India in the year 2015. The GRBMP recommendations were to some extent broad-based strategic measures, but they included some detailed ready-to-implement actions. There was, therefore, a felt need to have substantial further inputs to the Plan that addressed several other specific issues for comprehensive, policy-driven and technology-based solutions for the restoration and conservation of River Ganga and other rivers of the country. The Centre for Ganga River Basin Management and Studies (“cGanga”) was hence created through a Memorandum of Understanding between Ministry of Jal Shakti (then MoWR, RD & GR), Government of India and IIT, Kanpur in April 2016. The main objective of cGanga was identified as Continual Scientific Support in the Implementation and Dynamic Evolution of the Ganga River Basin Management Plan. In fulfilment of its objective, cGanga has been conducting many field and in-house studies as well as workshops and consultations with various stakeholders, executive bodies, monitoring agencies and experts on various components of GRBMP and its implementation. Based on these activities over the past few years, a clearer understanding emerged on some of the major implementation challenges of GRBMP. This led to a more refined and detailed strategic implementation procedure that combines robust scientific method with a socio-economic and administratively aligned policy framework as presented in this document. The present manual attempts to describe in a concise manner the background, objectives, vision, knowledge-framework, methodology, governance principles, restoration strategy, monitoring, feedback and correction mechanisms, and financial management of the river restoration and conservation plan. The document is intended to act as both a guide for the non-specialist reader or stakeholder as well as a broad instruction manual for specialized government / implementing agencies who may need to take account of significant variations in physical and social particulars of river basins in implementing the restoration plan successfully. The preparation of this report was enabled by the various studies, surveys, analyses, and discussions carried out by dedicated members of the cGanga team. In addition, key stakeholders, experts and community representatives of many river basins interacted with cGanga members and gave their valuable inputs unreservedly on many aspects of the present document.