 Analysis of Yojana Magazine: Riverfront Development Policies and Regulations

 Introduction
 National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Riverfront Development
 About National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG)
 What is Connect Karo Initiative?
 What is present Urban water scene?
 What is the guidance framework of NMCG for Riverfront Development?
 The Modern Concept of URFD
 Pressure on Rivers due to Development Activities
 How to make optimal use of land?
 Way Forward
 Introduction
 Connecting people to rivers has been an essential component of initiatives taken by the National
Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) to sensitize people towards rivers and their ecology.
 The Development of riverfronts has been part of the objective to establish a people-river
connection.
 NMCG has also been working with different stakeholders to make river sensitive urban master
plans. NMCG has published many significant publications in this regard.
 National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) and Riverfront Development
 National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has been prompted to develop a balanced approach
to urban riverfront development (URFD), where ecological, environmental and social concerns
are addressed harmoniously along with development to accrue multiple benefits to people and
riverine ecosystems and also generate economic dividend for cities.

 About National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG)

 National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG) was registered as a society on 12th August 2011 under
the Societies Registration Act 1860.
 It acted as the implementation arm of the National Ganga River Basin Authority(NGRBA) which
was constituted under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act (EPA),1986.
 NGRBA has since been dissolved with effect from the 7th October 2016, consequent to the
constitution of the National Council for Rejuvenation, Protection and Management of River
Ganga (referred to as National Ganga Council).
 The Act envisages five-tier structure at the national, state and district levels to take measures for
prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution in river Ganga and to ensure
continuous adequate flow of water so as to rejuvenate the river Ganga as below;
 National Ganga Council under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Prime Minister of India.
 Empowered Task Force (ETF) on river Ganga under the chairmanship of Hon’ble Union Minister
of Jal Shakti (Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation).
 National Mission for Clean Ganga(NMCG).
 State Ganga Committees and
 District Ganga Committees in every specified district abutting river Ganga and its tributaries in
the states.
 What is Connect Karo Initiative?
 Connect Karo is WRI India’s flagship event that brings together Indian and global leaders and
policymakers committed to designing inclusive, sustainable and climate forward Indian cities.
 This year Connect Karo, with the theme ‘Clean, Green & Just’, held virtually starting September
13, 2021.
 Through the event, focus remain on addressing critical challenges faced by Indian cities with an
emphasis on our deep dive cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Kochi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
 Held over five days, it will be engaging with decision makers, thought leaders and experts in
urban planning, water infrastructure, air quality, transport, electric mobility, child friendly cities,
safer streets and more, to gain insights and share key learnings.
 What is present Urban water scene?
 Water is an important defining element of settlements across the world and can be traced back
through a city’s historical structure and morphology. The relationship between a city and its
waterfront is unique and always changing, depending on the functions carried out on adjoining
land.
 While the rivers serve as the lifeline for both rural and urban areas that get dependent for
drinking water, cities are fast running out of water, with borewells turning dry, and groundwater
plummeting to unimaginably low levels even as erstwhile lakes and tanks remain only on record.
 This is so even when rainfall is more than normal in a year, resulting in flooding of low lying
areas, chiefly because of the rainwater failing to percolate into the ground.
 What is the guidance framework of NMCG for Riverfront Development?

 National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has developed a high-level guidance framework
integrating water, ecology, environment and climate resilience related considerations within the
existing framework of urban riverfront planning and development.
 Patna riverfront is one of the first riverfront development project under NMCG, which
successfully addresses urban waterfront development as a collaborative and multi-layered
enterprise.
 A balanced approach to urban waterfront development, where ecological, environmental and
water concerns are addressed harmoniously along with development can accrue multiple
benefits to people and ecosystems while generating economic dividend for Indian cities.
 With these 5 step-up ideas, the upcoming urban waterfront projects in India can leverage the
value of the treasured urban blue-green asset for the city and its people.
 Under the Smart Cities Mission, many cities have taken up riverfront projects.
 The Modern Concept of URFD
 Urban Riverfront Planning and Development in India is limited to commanding and controlling
river waters and exploiting its floodplains for the use and convenience of people, as well as for
commercial gains realised from real estate development.
 The modem concept of URFD in India has originated with Sabarmati riverfront development in
Ahmedabad, which involved a grey infrastructure-based development for a stretch of around 10
km.
 Following this, several other URFD projects have been approved.This list includes Godavari
riverfront development in Maharashtra, Patna riverfront development in Bihar, Dravyavati
riverfront development in Rajasthan, Gomti riverfront development in Lucknow, etc., besides
similar development proposals for other rivers across India.
 Pressure on Rivers due to Development Activities
 It is common knowledge that many rivers across the globe are succumbing to development
pressures. The situation is no different in India.
 For example, according to an estimate, 63 per cent of sewage flows into our rivers untreated
every day.
 It is even more common knowledge that urban areas have largely been responsible for the
deterioration of our rivers. In the quest for socioeconomic development, cities have bitten the
hand that feeds them.
 What, however, may not be very common knowledge is: how do cities set things right? Cities
have been a huge part of the problem, and will need to be a part of the solution as well.
 The solution starts with a fundamental understanding that a river cannot be managed in
isolation. It is a system. A system that encompasses diverse elements from the river itself, to its
surrounding ecosystem and related services, and the livelihoods, cultural, spiritual and
recreational activities it supports.
 When the upstream and downstream connotations are added to this, the understanding of river
systems becomes more holistic and robust. Once city officials develop this understanding, it will
become resoundingly clear that managing an urban river is not only about cleaning up the
pollution. River clean-up activities are end-of-pipe solutions that mean nothing unless the
drivers of the problems are fixed.
 How to make optimal use of land?
 The main challenge in designing the riverfront development is to improve the quality of the
runoff entering into the river while maintaining the infiltration rates in its surroundings.
 The optimal land-use planning for the riverfront areas by adding green spaces along the river
edges is most suitable for balancing the river environment. The creation of such recreational
areas makes riverfront accessible to public to serve more than one purpose.
 The riverfront Is not a hard boundary, but a zone that shifts with time and topography. The
riverfronts and river bank floodplains are ecologically very dynamic and meant to be
undeveloped for maintaining bank storage, floodplain biodiversity along with natural tributaries
and wetlands.
 Decision-makers and planners can invest time in carrying out analysis to create potential blue-
green spaces around the river. Under no conditions should the riverfronts and riverbanks be
concretised where the ecological biodiversity is protected, restored and enhanced —
irrespective of any amount of commercial and profit-making values.
 Development and conservation need to go hand-in-hand where water and vegetation are seen
together to shift from ‘hard’ to ‘soft’ engineering approaches.
 For example, the Yamuna biodiversity park located on Yamuna riverfront was developed by Delhi
Development Authority (DDA) with the technical help of Centre for Environmental Management
of Degraded Ecosystems (CEMDE), University of Delhi. It serves as an alternative habitat for
migratory and resident bird species. It was also designed to conserve wild genetic resources of
agricultural crops, enhance groundwater recharge and augment freshwater availability.
 Way Forward
 It is important to point out here that there is no universal model to manage urban rivers. Every
city is unique. This is why, each city’s plan to manage the river within its stretch will also be
unique.
 Most cities already have a good enabling environment at the top in terms of relevant legal and
regulatory mechanisms.
 Furthermore, there are a number of low-hanging fruits that can be targeted under each item of
the 10-point agenda. These, coupled with the right intent, can certainly set the stage for the
envisaged transformation.
 For successful future interventions of blue-green infrastructure solutions, it is necessary to learn
from our past mistakes.
 Recognising what did not work may provide us with directions needed to improve future
projects and avoid poorly designed and costly interventions with no social and environmental
benefits.
 The solutions need to be multi-dimensional, holistic and should involve all relevant stakeholders.
The river front development should involve the community to be the key agents for action to
mitigate problems related to river pollution.
 There are many inspiring examples of community-driven river revival efforts in India that show
that we need tremendous amount of efforts for a strong public awareness.
 For example, youngsters come together to clean Mithi river in Mumbai every weekend. In Tamil
Nadu, a local non-profit Clean Conoor, organises clean-up drive for river Conoor.
 At the same time, it is essential to understand that the existence of river’s ecology is defined by
its watershed and not by administrative boundaries. For successful interventions, it is critical to
acknowledge the river’s flow regime, morphology and scale and align it with characteristics of
local urban form.
 The uses and functions can be selected in a way that work for a diverse community and provide
multiple benefits, including good flood management performance, ecological function, improved
aesthetic and health benefits.