Reviving India’s Rivers

Efforts for cleaning Ganga and many other rivers in the country have been going on for decades. A lot of money has gone down the drain but with little impact on the ground. In smaller cities, the rivers have become sewage drains destroying the ecosystem of the region and adversely impacting the lives of a large number of those that live around them. A lot of noise is being made about the devastation being caused but there doesn’t seem to be much action on the ground. Hence, what has happened in Chatrapati Sambaji Nagar deserves special attention. The visionary Municipal Commissioner, a young and dynamic IAS officer, Astik Pande made it happen here. He has demonstrated that if a problem can be identified and understood and if all the stake stakeholders can be brought on board, a complex and long-standing problem can be tackled. For his effort, Astik was bestowed with the Nexus of Good Annual Award, in 2024 at a glittering function at PHD House in Delhi. The award was given by a decorated former Indian Police Service officer, Prakash Singh.

Kham River is a 65km long seasonal river & tributary of the Godavari River. Chatrapati Sambhaji Nagar (Aurangabad City) is situated on the bank of this river. It divides the city into two parts. There are around 17 to 18 lakh people who live in the city with around an additional 25 lakh in the catchment area of the river around the city.

The Kham River Restoration Mission in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar represents an exemplary collaboration between the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, District Collector Office, Aurangabad Cantonment Board, Varroc Industries and Startup EcoSattva Environmental Solutions, Many NGOs & Citizens got down to restore a seasonal river that had become a polluted drain. Spearheaded by Astik during his tenure as Municipal Commissioner(2019-22) and later as District Collector(2022-24), the initiative tackled ecological degradation, waste management, and community awareness through innovative and sustainable approaches.

The Problem

Historically, the Kham River supported biodiversity and provided crucial ecological services like flood mitigation & drinking water for the city. However, years of neglect turned it into a heavily polluted channel, with 249 sewage entry points and nearly 10% of its surface covered by solid waste. Local communities, particularly lower-income households, faced severe health and environmental risks. Moreover, only 36% of residents were even aware of the river’s existence, highlighting the need for a holistic solution.

Kham River Restoration Initiative was launched in 2021. This Mission adopts a public-private-civil society partnership model involving the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, Varroc Industries, Aurangabad Cantonment Board, startup EcoSattva Environmental Solutions, many NGOs & citizens of the city. It aimed to restore the river’s ecological functions, enhance biodiversity, and foster community ownership.

Key interventions

* Waste Management: Removal of over 100,000 square meters of solid waste and diversion of 5 million litres of sewage daily.

* Ecological Restoration: Stabilization of riverbanks, dredging, and the creation of wetlands and riparian zones.

* Green Infrastructure: Establishment of a 5 km EcoPark with recreational spaces and planting of more than one lakh native saplings.

* Technology Integration: Use of the BOTRAM app for real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making.

* Community Engagement: Active participation of over one million residents of the city through educational campaigns, clean-up drives, and cultural programs like the “Kham Song.”etc.

Coordinate Effort

* Machinery & Human Resources were deployed by the Municipal Corporation.

* Varroc Industries spent funds under CSR to create & maintain public spaces like Gardens, Gym, Benches, Tree Plantation etc.

* Municipal Corporation had tripartite MOU with Varroc Industries & Echosattva start-up. Varroc Industries provided some funds under CSR to Echosattva to create & maintain public spaces.

* Marathwada Institute of Technology (MIT) provided stones for the River Bank creation.

* The Social Forestry Department provided Trees for plantation & Created Atal Amrut Van.

* Municipal Corporation connected & diverted all household sewerage water to STP through its own funds.

* The District Mining Office and District Collector Office provided royalty-free Sand & Stone for River Bank creation & Public spaces creation.

* The Maharashtra State Government’s policy - “Chala Januya Apli Nadi la,” gave a legal base to bring all concerned Government Departments under one roof & deploy their resources for River Restoration.

Impact

The initiative has revitalized 11 kilometres of the Kham River, turning garbage-prone areas into green spaces/parks/open gyms and reducing pollution. It has improved flood resilience and restored the river’s biodiversity by creating thriving habitats for birds, insects, and small mammals.

Economically, the project has empowered marginalized groups, including women waste pickers, by training sanitation staff and establishing 3 material recovery facilities. Socially, it has fostered a sense of civic pride, transforming residents from passive observers to active stewards of the river.

Replicability and Scalability

The mission’s holistic and data-driven approach built in by the startup Ecosattva Environmental Solutions and used extensively by the Municipal Commissioner, Astik Kumar Pandey, makes it a blueprint for urban river restoration. Its methodologies are already being adapted for other rivers like the Sukhna and Shivna of the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district By documenting standard operating procedures (SOPs), the project ensures transferability to other regions, with scalability supported by CSR funding and strong governance frameworks.

Acknowledged by the River Cities Alliance and the National Institute of Urban Affairs, GOI, the Kham River Restoration Mission exemplifies sustainable urban river management. In 2024, the project was recognized as the winner of the St Andrews Prize for the Environment and as one of the top five finalists for the World Resources Institute Ross Center Prize for Cities.

The Kham River Restoration mission underscores the power of collaboration and innovation in addressing ecological challenges, setting a new standard for city river restoration nationwide.

What Astik and his wonderful team have accomplished in Chatrapati Sabmaji Nagar is a wonderful example of Nexus of Good. They have proved that even seasonal rivers can be rejuvenated. They have presented a model that can be replicated and scaled throughout the country through public-private partnerships. It can go on to address a very serious problem that besets a large number of cities in the country. The key, however, would be first to appreciate the existence of the problem, understand its causes, work out a practicable action plan, set up a committed team to execute it and, above all, get all the stakeholders on board.

Views expressed are personal