In a major move towards sustainable urban river rejuvenation, the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved the 2025 annual master plan for the River Cities Alliance (RCA), setting forth a dynamic roadmap of initiatives aimed at embedding river-sensitive planning into India’s urban development framework.

The approved plan outlines a robust agenda that includes capacity-building programs, knowledge-sharing platforms, technical tool development, expert consultation, and thematic case studies—all geared toward integrating river considerations into urban growth.

Formed in 2021 under the leadership of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, RCA now comprises 145 member cities. The Alliance promotes a holistic model of river management that enhances institutional capacity, encourages inter-city collaboration across river basins, and supports the formulation of Urban River Management Plans (URMPs).

This year’s roadmap prioritizes embedding river health into urban master plans through state-level training programs in River-Sensitive Master Planning (RSMP). To further advance URMP development, the NMCG will hold onboarding and training sessions, starting with cities in Tamil Nadu and expanding to other states.

Introduced in 2020 by the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) and NMCG, the URMP framework takes a multidimensional approach to river management, balancing environmental, social, and economic priorities. So far, five cities—Kanpur, Ayodhya, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Moradabad, and Bareilly—have finalized their URMPs. Notably, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar’s Kham River Restoration Mission earned global recognition through the World Resources Institute’s Ross Center Prize for Cities, highlighting the initiative's transformational impact.

In the coming year, 25 new URMPs are set to be developed in the first phase of a broader mission to establish 60 such plans over the next two to three years. This effort, backed by the World Bank, reinforces India's commitment to river-centric urban governance. States like Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and West Bengal have already formed Steering Committees to oversee planning and implementation.

Reflecting the Prime Minister’s vision, NMCG is also leading the creation of a URMP for Delhi—reimagining the capital’s rivers as vital ecosystems rather than mere water channels. This initiative will serve as a model for other metropolitan areas in promoting resilient, river-sensitive urban development.

To foster coordinated action across governance levels, NMCG plans to issue an advisory encouraging integration of basin, district, and city-level river management efforts. Knowledge resources will be developed alongside feedback mechanisms to address information gaps among member cities. Additionally, Thematic Expert Groups will provide technical support and guidance for eco-friendly riverfront projects.

Key events such as DHARA—a basin-level RCA conference—and exposure visits to cities like Udaipur and Hyderabad will facilitate the exchange of best practices. Governance capacity at the Urban Local Body (ULB) level will be strengthened through formal training programs.

RCA will also focus on capturing and sharing success stories from the ground, publishing weekly case studies to highlight effective urban river rejuvenation initiatives. Public outreach and awareness campaigns will be launched to foster river-conscious behaviors, while financial advisory services will assist cities in mobilizing resources for river-centric projects. Performance benchmarking using the URMP framework will further guide progress and improvements across member cities.

Among the initiatives already completed are the launch of a new RCA website and participation in the World Economic Forum at Davos in February 2025, reflecting RCA’s growing national and international engagement.

The approval of this annual master plan signals a transformative step in institutionalizing river-sensitive urban planning in India. With its ambitious agenda of training, collaboration, and technical innovation, the RCA’s 2025 plan underscores NMCG’s strong commitment to restoring and preserving India’s urban rivers, ultimately paving the way for water-secure, inclusive, and sustainable cities.