River Cities Alliance | 29 Apr 2025

Source: PIB

The National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) has approved a master plan for the River Cities Alliance (RCA) to promote river-sensitive urban planning through capacity building, knowledge sharing, and expert guidance in India’s cities. 

• River Cities Alliance (RCA): It has been conceptualized to help river cities in India maintain this symbiotic relationship with their rivers. 
  • Launched in 2021, with 30 river cities, the RCA has now expanded to 145+ cities. 
  • It is currently being managed by the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA) under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.  
    • It supports the creation of Urban River Management Plans (URMPs).  
• Urban River Management Plans (URMPs): The URMP framework, launched in 2020 by the NIUA and the NMCG, represents a first-of-its-kind approach to ensure that environmental, economic, and social dimensions are considered in the urban management of rivers.  
  • Five cities, namely Kanpur, Ayodhya, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, Moradabad, and Bareilly, have developed URMPs, with Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar's Kham River Restoration Mission gaining global recognition from the World Resources Institute.