NMCG Approves Action Plan 2025 to Advance River-Sensitive Urban Development

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has formally approved the Action Plan 2025 for the River Cities Alliance (RCA), setting a structured and strategic course for advancing river-sensitive urban development across the country. The plan details a series of technical interventions, capacity-building initiatives, and knowledge-exchange platforms aimed at integrating river ecosystems into mainstream urban planning processes.

The River Cities Alliance, launched in 2021 under the joint stewardship of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, has grown to include 145 member cities, underscoring its national importance. As part of the 2025 roadmap, the NMCG will prioritize the integration of river-sensitive approaches within city master plans through the implementation of River-Sensitive Master Planning (RSMP) training programmes across multiple states, beginning with Tamil Nadu.

Photo Credit by: PIB

At the heart of this strategy lies the Urban River Management Plan (URMP) framework, jointly developed by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and NMCG in 2020, which provides cities with a structured methodology to manage rivers through environmental, social, and infrastructural dimensions. Several cities, including Kanpur, Ayodhya, and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, have already formulated URMPs, with the Kham River Restoration Mission of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar receiving global recognition through the World Resources Institute’s Ross Center Prize for Cities.

Photo Credit by: PIB

In line with this momentum, NMCG has set a target to develop 25 additional URMPs this year, contributing to a larger goal of 60 URMPs over the next two to three years. Steering committees in states such as Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal have been constituted to guide this process. A URMP is also under development for Delhi, with the objective of restoring the Yamuna and its tributaries as vibrant ecological and urban assets, which will serve as a model for metropolitan regions nationwide.

Complementary measures under the Action Plan include the issuance of advisories on multi-tiered coordination among basin, district, and city-level river management efforts, along with the organization of knowledge-sharing events such as DHARA and study visits to cities including Udaipur and Hyderabad. The RCA’s strengthened presence was further highlighted through its participation in the World Economic Forum at Davos, reflecting the rising international visibility of India’s river-centric urban initiatives.

Further initiatives planned include the launch of a revamped RCA website, the development of financial advisory support services for cities, weekly publication of best-practice case studies, and the establishment of benchmarking mechanisms to monitor urban river management performance. Citizen engagement campaigns and sensitization programmes are also envisioned to foster river-conscious behaviour among urban populations.

The approval of Action Plan 2025 marks a critical advancement in institutionalizing river-sensitive urban governance across India. With this comprehensive approach, the NMCG reaffirms its commitment to building resilient, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable urban ecosystems that recognize rivers as vital assets for future urban growth.